Listen to Your Pain

The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. (Psalm 34:18)

A couple of days ago, I had my bi-annual checkup, and I had a long hour between the blood work and meeting with the doctor. I sat in the coffee area and tried getting my sermon done but couldn’t help witnessing the pain. First, the woman in the line ahead of me gave her birthdate to the person behind the counter, and I thought she was twenty years older than the date she gave. It broke my heart to see a little child who looked like the waiting room was his second home. Then, I listened to a staff person talking to a woman behind the coffee desk, complaining bitterly about how people treated her rudely. Pain, in many forms, seemed to be everywhere.

Kristin Austin, in her article, “When Pain Intrudes on Meditation,” calls us to “Treat [our] pain as the bodyguard it is.” Austin provides an example, “Pain reminds us to stop and take a break. Be kind to ourselves.” Pain is the body’s way of protecting us from even worse agony and further damage. Pain stinks, but if you do not avoid it and listen, it can tell you how to address it.

If you experience physical or emotional pain, stop complaining long enough to sit and listen. The part of the clinic story I didn’t tell you was that the little child wasn’t complaining, and the old lady younger than me was friendly to the staff and appeared courageous. Even the complaining staff member went back to her desk, and I am sure she was polite to the people who were rude to her. Perhaps they are listening to their bodies and minds. God’s Spirit speaks even through our pain. Listening makes us relax, which loosens muscle strain and relieves discomfort. Allow God room to soothe your fears and frustrations. We will not go pain-free throughout our lives, but we can lessen the pain and live with dignity as God guides us forward.