Purpose In The Pain

5/26/2021

Written By: Nancy Purtlebaugh

This past Friday night my husband and I had plans to go to dinner with friends. Those plans got derailed when my husband got a phone call from our youngest son’s friend. Kai and a group of his friends were hanging out at a lake house after school. (I’m glad his friend called my husband because I know my mind would have gone a thousand different places). Turns out he dislocated his shoulder. My husband went and picked Kai up and rushed him to the emergency room. He was in SO much pain. Probably the most pain I have ever seen or heard him in. (This kid has a very high pain tolerance.) He just wanted the Dr to pop the shoulder back in-to put it back where it went. It was gut wrenching to watch. Wasn’t there some way we could just hurry this up? The pain he was suffering? We knew exactly what needed to happen, the Dr knew what needed to happen. Please just make it stop!! Except the Dr explained that, in order for the muscles to fatigue, we needed to wait—which meant more pain and more waiting. He literally had to lie face-down on the bed and allow that arm to dangle off the side of the bed, in pain. Then, he had to hold something in his hand while it just hung there. The Dr knew that allowing the muscles to fatigue would allow him to put it back in place without much of a fight. Then after all that, the Dr had to pull and prod his arm this way and that, while my son was holding his breath, wincing in pain. (He was such a trooper!) Then it happened, he got it back into place. They both laughed, immediately relieved. Sure, it still hurt, it had been out of place for 3.5 hours, but we were leaps and bounds better than before.

When those we love are in pain and struggling we would love nothing more than to take away that pain. We want to try and remove everything causing that pain as quickly as we possibly can. We even get frustrated with God after our multiple prayers wondering why He just won’t remove it. He can-He knows how. Just make it stop, God!! Except, even more so than the Dr working on Kai’s shoulder, He knows. He sees the bigger picture. He knows what’s best for us and for those around us. He can and will use this pain for our purpose and His glory! He is molding and making us into who He wants us to be, making us more like Him along the way. The process will be slower than we want. He will prod and pull us this way and that. It will most likely hurt for the person going through the trial and for those of us on the sidelines watching. But when we arrive where He wants us? When we are on the other side of the pain or struggle? I imagine it will be similar to how the Dr and Kai felt when that shoulder popped back where it was supposed to be-relief, peace, beauty and joy!!

In 2 Corinthians chapters 11 and 12 Paul talks about all he went through before and after he became a Christ follower. In fact, he boasts about his sufferings—I suggest you go read all of it. It’s definitely worth your time! The verses I want to focus on today are 2 Corinthians 12:7-10:

"To keep me from being conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

Friends, I don’t know what kind of pain you or your loved ones are suffering today. I do know from experience, it is NOT easy. (Not just from my son’s experience, but also many others.) I do know those verses are true. His grace is more than enough. Not one time have I seen a Christ follower walk through a season of suffering without seeing His powerful strength rest upon them. So today, let yourself (or them) be weak—so His strength can be what others see. He is working everything out for our good and His glory!

And we know in ALL things God works for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. Romans 8:2