Tag: pain

Categories
Bible motivation

The Crucible of Suffering

aluminum artisan brass bright
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Who wants to experience more suffering? Nobody? Me neither! Whenever anybody sets up goals, nobody but a sadist eagerly plans for suffering. Yet, it is in the crucible of suffering we can become much better than we imagined.

“Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.”

Helen Keller

7.9 Billion Crucibles

As I write this, there are 7,931,373,700 billion people in the world. There will be more by the time you read this. And every one of us on this planet experiences suffering.

  • Newborns come into a cold, disorienting world
  • Toddlers impatiently suffer when their needs aren’t meant and they come face-to-face with the word, “No!”
  • Children suffer rejection on the playground
  • Teens suffer through puberty and family vacations
Cartoon about two teen girls and vacation

And adults suffer in a myriad of ways. Even the most successful person experiences suffering. We can avoid it. It is part of life.

We have scars of suffering from the past. Some we can laugh about. An old football injury, in retrospect, can be a badge of honor. When someone says, “That had to hurt!” the old linebacker can smile and weave a tall tale about that fateful night against the crosstown rival.

The Choice in Suffering

So if it is unavoidable, what choice do we have in the crucible of suffering? First of all, don’t be surprised! We all go through it. The Apostle Peter knew this very well.

“Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.” 1 Peter 4:12–13 (KJV)

We may suffer when doing good. And we may suffer for evil or foolish acts. We may not have a choice on whether we will suffer or not. But we do have a choice in how we react when suffering comes.

Helen Keller’s quote is so powerful when we consider the suffering she endured. She lost her sight and hearing at such an early age. Yet through the patience of a faithful teacher, and the right attitude, she made an indelible impact on millions.

We will all experience the crucible of suffering. Our choice is not whether we can avoid it. Rather, it is how we respond in the midst of our suffering. That is what develops our character!

Categories
motivation

Making the Best Use of Pain

Cartoon of a boy on the ground in pain and another boy. One says, "They call it a medicine ball because if you catch it, you'll need pain killers."

Yesterday was painful. Without going into detail, there has been a lot going on in my life. There are challenges that call for change in an old, broken system. There are emails that have a ton of information but not the details necessary to get a job adequately finished. To top it off, one of my parents and several of my friends are going through health crises. Yes there has been a lot going on and much of it has been painful.

Our society tends to encourage us to numb the pain. They implore us to take this, or try that. It may work for a time or two, but only leaves a person a zombie that demands more of the “medicine.” It causes addiction, avoidance, and makes a person care less about themselves, their loved ones and the world around us.

There are people going through chronic pain, and I am not telling anyone in constant pain to just deal with it. What I am saying is that all of us face pain in one form or another on most days. How do we make the best of it?

  • Acknowledge pain instead of pretending it doesn’t exist
  • Allow yourself to grieve when the pain is a loss
  • If the pain is a situation, ask yourself what you can learn from it
  • If the pain is because of growth, ask yourself if this is natural and if it needs to be endured
  • If it is a slow pain of an ancient system, ask yourself what needs to change. What does this make possible?
  • If the pain is from a toxic situation or relationship, get help to determine if you need to leave it

Some pain is inevitable. We live in a broken world filled with broken people. Sure, we all need medicine to ease the pain once in a while. But consider if it is something to learn from, grieve or leave instead of denying or numbing the pain.

And if it is a medicine ball in a gym class, perhaps the best thing to do is let the pain producer pass you by instead of catching it.

Cartoon of a boy on the ground in pain and another boy. One says, "They call it a medicine ball because if you catch it, you'll need pain killers."
Categories
motivation

Adventures Involve Risk

Cartoon of an injured boy in the hospital. He says to another boy, "Why is it whenever you have a taste for adventure, I end up in the emergency room?"

Thrill-seekers love adventure. Sure, you can attempt to minimize it. You can wear protective clothing, helmets and use climbing ropes. You can go to an amusement park and ride an inspected roller coaster that’s been deemed safe. You can go to a haunted house with chainsaw-wielding fiends and fake blood on the wall, knowing full well they won’t hurt you because that’s bad for business. But if there is no risk involved, there’s no adventure, is there?

Cartoon of an injured boy in the hospital. He says to another boy, "Why is it whenever you have a taste for adventure, I end up in the emergency room?"

On the one hand, we yearn for some adventure. On the other hand, we are risk-averse. We want someone else to take the risk. We don’t really want to risk it all for the business, success or imagined glory. Yet that is what is required to move forward. Change is an adventure. Adventures are risky.

Seth Godin has defined creativity simply as, “It might not work.” That new product launch, the new marketing campaign, that career move may not be as successful as you hope. But deep down, isn’t that the adventure we are all looking for?

Categories
Book Review

Book Review: “Leadership Pain: The Classroom for Growth”

Leadership Pain: The Classroom for GrowthLeadership Pain: The Classroom for Growth by Samuel Chand
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book was just what the doctor ordered. My wife and I have gone through two years of leadership pain. We thought following the plan God laid before us meant sunshine and unicorns. When things didn’t go the way we thought they should, a friend recommended this book. It has been very instrumental in reminding me that pain is actually part of growth and leadership. It all comes down to this equation:

Growth = Change
Change = Loss
Loss = Pain
thus, Growth = Pain.

It is not something American Christians want to hear, but it has proven true for me. The book uses testimonials from pastors and non-profit leaders from many backgrounds. The author’s story is also a powerful anecdote on what happens when leaders persevere through the pain. I fully recommend this book.

View all my reviews

Categories
Teen Cartoons

Too Busy Having Fun

Cartoon of two kids at an amusement park. One says, "We're too busy having fun to be happy."Can anyone achieve happiness through busy-ness? If you are too busy to remember what you did, is it happiness? If the busy time ends and discontent reappears, was it ever really happiness?

It reminds me of a proverb:

Laughter can conceal a heavy heart, but when the laughter ends, the grief remains. Proverbs 14:13 NLT

Diversion may work for a while, but if you are struggling with something major, get help.