The Purpose of Pain

Pain - a four-letter word in its own right. It was the reason for a meltdown I had just yesterday. For those of you who have read my story, I have three annoying and chronic conditions - Hemiplegic Migraines that cause me to look like I’m having a stroke (weird, I know), dystonic spasms in my neck, and vertigo. I’ve also had knee pain for years. Come to find out, I tore my meniscus at some point. Oh, it’s a party - a pain party.

So you know what caused my level 10 meltdown? None of my major health issues. Nope. I simply stubbed my toe. I cracked that little piggy on the leg of a metal chair and I went wah wah wah all the way to my husband. I legit lost it, crying on his shoulder about how I’m just so sick of hurting. I often feel like I’m pushed to my limit with the ongoing medical drama in my life and sometimes all it takes is a small something to send me catapulting over the edge. For the sake of raw honesty, my overall situation just plain sucks at times and it’s hard to see any glimpse of light at the end of that long, dark, nasty sewer pipe of a tunnel.

I’d bet you’re hurting, too. Physically, emotionally, spiritually - I’m not sure which lane(s) your pain falls in but it doesn’t really matter does it? It’s all tough and it all stings. There’s an ache that accompanies the agony and we feel it in the deepest parts of our souls. It’s awful but it’s also the very thing that keeps us alive and allows us to be stronger for ourselves and a blessing to others. Let me explain.

You see, pain protects us. It’s one of the ways that God throws up a red flag to the fact that something is harmful or wrong. If we couldn’t feel the heat, we’d touch the stove and suffer something far more crippling than the zap of the instant burn. Without pain, we’d be living without guardrails. We’d be blind to the warning signs that something worse is on the horizon. Once my neurologists were able to pin down my medical conditions, I was able to take a cocktail of medications and alter my daily activities in a way that didn’t set my symptoms in motion as quickly as before. If my pain hadn’t gotten in my face and shouted point-blank “slow down fool!”, I’d still be racing around like an idiot and making my weekly trips to the ER.

Pain also produces gratitude. How could we appreciate the light if darkness never existed? Is love not magnified in the presence of hate? Pain is the very thing that makes us grateful for peace. I’m having knee surgery next week. Lord willing, the recovery process will be fairly quick and I’ll be able to walk again without the sharp reminder that something is malfunctioning in my body. Prior to knee pain, walking, bending, and climbing stairs seemed mundane. Quite frankly, I didn’t even give it a thought. Post-surgery, however, you better believe I’ll be executing every one of these physical movements with a newfound joy!

The same goes for my chronic stuff. While there’s no quick fix for these lingering ailments, I do have good days where I feel pretty darn close to my old self. Before my physical chaos set in, my ‘normal’ felt exactly that - normal. Now it feels special. I cherish these days and strive for more of them. I’m thankful when I get to experience the unhindered version of me again and I hold tightly to these moments. They mean something now.

Last but not least, pain gives us a purpose in serving others. There’s something empowering about having been really low in life. If you’ve experienced a similar pain as someone else, you’re uniquely qualified to lift them up in a way that others cannot. We might mean well at times but, unless we’ve been there, we don’t fully get it. If we HAVE been there, however, we are a tool in the hand of God. We’re an advice giver, a traveling companion on a winding road that’s confusing and difficult to navigate, and we are a beacon of hope because we’re still here to tell our stories.

So, my sweet friends, be encouraged in your pain. It is not in vain. It’s not wasted on you. It has a purpose and you are better for it!