I recently posted about my adventure with Gold Bond. It burns but the burn lets me know that it’s working. For some time now I have been using Nioxin hair treatments. It doesn’t burn. I wish it did. I don’t like the burning sensation but it makes me feel like it’s working. It’s like when you put peroxide on a scrape. It burns. It fizzles. It burns some more. That’s how you know it’s working. Every time I use the really expensive shampoo I wish that it burned. The shampoo is supposed to help me not go bald, but it doesn’t even tingle. I’m left wondering if it really works.
Unless you are some type of weirdo nobody likes pain. Nobody likes pain and yet pain is one of the ways that God gets our attention. I recently read a story about an elderly women who had a stroke and fell onto her bathroom floor. For three long days she laid in pain. After three days a neighbor came to her rescue. While in the hospital her grandson asked her what she was thinking about for those gruelling three days. She said, “I’ve never been closer to God my whole life than when I was in pain.”
We live in a fallen world where pain happens. Pain happens and it’s in the midst of that pain that we often seek God with our whole hearts. It’s in the midst of that pain that we are often quiet enough to hear Him. It’s in the pain that we take the time to focus our attention on Him. God could leave us alone during our pain but instead He is present in our pain.
I don’t like the burn but it makes me feel like a product is working. I don’t like the burn of pain but it’s often how I know that God is working.
What product do you use that burns? When have you felt God in the midst of pain?
I can't rightly recall using anything at the moment Rob. I have already lost my hair and have no desire to try to turn that around. However, when a dog took me down on my bike two years ago, I had a serious case of road rash on my forearm. When I got under the shower and let the water run and then used soap, it burned like fire. But I knew it had to be done to cleanse the wound. Pain is for sure; misery is optional.
I have this spray-on sunscreen. It comes out so cold it gives you freezer burn. What a horrible feeling. I would rather get turned into a crispy frittata by the sun than put that stuff on again. As for God presence in pain. Truthfully, I know that God has used pain to pull me closer to Him, but when I am hurting, I never feel more alone. I sometimes think that God is way too subtle. Still, small voice? Man, speak up.
Physical exercise is like that–no pain, no gain. Shots are like that–a little pain to inject good things into our life. Surgery is like that. The drilling away of decay at the dentist is like that. The power of God's presence is special during painful, trying moments.
During my c-section with Ethan, when the epidural was kicking in, for some reason I couldn't breathe, so they put an oxygen mask on my face but it didn't help, I just couldn't get a good breath, (it wasn't necessarily physical pain, but it was emotional pain/anxiety) so I just closed my eyes and prayed, and after a couple minutes I could breathe ok again, but I continued to pray non-stop thru the rest of the surgery. I definintely felt the closest to God in those few minutes that I've ever felt.
When I get a cold sore in my mouth sometimes I swirl around hot salt-water inside my mouth. It burns like noone's business but it feels oh so good…
Been there. It hurts so good.
Wow. What a great story. Monica didn't have a c-section and I don't know what she was thinking during the birth of our twins. I will need to ask her if she felt close to God. I don't think she did. No drugs = a lot of pain.
No pain no gain when it comes to exercise.
A funny and serious comment. You could take this an make it into a blog post.
Love that quote. Pain is for sure; misery is optional. Great stuff!
Ironically, in my past attempts to remove hair, it's Nair that causes me pain. However, every time I am fooled into thinking the pain is a sign that it's working, but I usually just end up with red legs. After a few years, I have finally learned my lesson and stick to razors.
I totally agree that God can use pain to draw us closer to him. I experienced a lot of "growing pain" in my four years of college, but the pain helped me to better understand/feel God's love and grace. Yet looking back, I can see how through my own actions, I played a large role in the cause of my pain. And just like with the Nair, I am slowly learning how to turn from those things that repeatedly cause me pain.
Thanks for this post 🙂
My pleasure. Love the nair analogy. I don't use it but it would have made a great example.
Many products burn – hydrogen peroxide as a gargle for the throat is nasty but it works – several nasal sprays burn – but they really work too. Deep subject about feeling God in the midst of pain – I think the last 2 1/2 years of my blog only begins to scratch the surface for me after a situation I went through of a personal nature with a friend. Pain wakes you up and the only real change that happens for good comes as a result of it. And I felt Him not only whisper to me during the darkest days of questioning – but SCREAMING too.
Mmmm, buffalo wings, the immediate burn is the good kind, the burn the next day not quite as fun. The question makes me think of a little old school churchy song, Refiner's Fire, I think you're right that sometimes the pain quiets us and causes us to listen, then God takes that opportunity to refine our character and make us better people. I think perhaps another reason we encounter God in pain is because God loves us so much and wants to bring comfort and healing.
Daniel, deep thoughts dude. Can be very frustrating to want to hear from God in our pain yet God remains silent, great people of faith have experienced the pain of God's silence, even Jesus cried out "my God why have you forsaken me?" But I think in the end when you continue to seek your relationship with God will go deeper. Of course looking forward to that future goodness doesn't really make the pain and loneliness suck any less when you're in the middle of it.
It's hard to keep this in mind when you're going through the experience, but it's very true.
Thanks, Rob.
Hey my Brotha.
Merge this one with your July 8th "WWE With God" post…