Today, I'd like to write a blog post on something that I have experience with in my own life. I hope that this post blesses someone who needs to read it or that someone gleans some sort of truth from it that will help them in the struggle. What I'd like to talk about today is happiness and pain. And it seems that for much of the time, they go hand in hand.
Someone once said that the first person you think of in the morning and the last person you think of at night is either the cause of your happiness or the cause of your pain. I think that's true. I also think that it could be both of those things at once. A lot of you probably understand this. Happiness isn't entirely unlike pain. They both elicit strong emotional responses. They're both caused by the people or things you cherish most. Up to a certain point, they're the same thing. It's just the outcome that's different. The responses themselves.
I've dealt with much happiness (thankfully) over the past few years. And I've experienced a lot of pain, too. For some of that, I can whisper, "Thank you." to God. For the rest, I believe that I can thank God one day in the future. Let me explain.
It's the trials and tribulations (or tribble-ations... sorry... Star Trek reference) that define us as people. What we experience molds us into the people that we are meant to be. The problem with that, though, is that many of us allow the pain to become our identity, myself included.
It's dreadful outside. It's not quite snowing and it's not quite raining. It's cold. I'm alone. And we all know what free time does for those who are hurting- it allows them to focus on the past. I've spent much of today already focusing on the pain that has happened to me in the past few weeks. And it's that kind of dull pain, you know? The sort that starts in your stomach as regret and depression and works its way up until it turns into some sort of anger, threatening to erupt from your nostrils like fire. This isn't healthy. And that's why I wanted to write about it. Because it's so hard for me to reconnect with myself. To reconnect with the person I was before the pain. And to experience joy. But I know how to.
Some of us hide pain. Don't do that. It's destructive. Some of us pretend that it's not there. We cover it up with false joy and appeasement. Some of us hide our regret and sins. We act as if nothing has happened, hoping that this self-centered forgetfulness will allow our mistakes to fade into obscurity. That's not going to happen, either. What we must do is face our pain head on. How do we do that?
Cliched as it may seem, my focus is on Jesus Christ. Sometimes I forget that Jesus himself suffered. Because of this, he is able to help those caught in this struggle. And pain now leads to hope for a future. Romans 8:18 says, "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us." Once we admit the pain that we feel, then we can truly experience life.
C.S. Lewis once said, "Pain removes the veil; it plants the flag of truth within the fortress of a rebel soul." What is he saying? Well, it's quite simple. Pain shows us that we need God. It helps us to understand where our joy and hope comes: the Lord.
And sometimes it's good to focus on other people's pain, too. Instead of your own. That way, you can be praying for them and they can be praying for you. Find a friend struggling. Talk to each other. Be honest. Let your friend know that he or she has a friend. Sometime, that is just enough to dull the hurt.
Anyway, these are all things I need to work on. But I thought it would be great to share with my readers. Everyone has some sort of pain in their life. Whether it's family, personal, or spiritual, everyone is struggling. And I'm an open book. I could use all the prayers you could muster up!
Stop feeling sorry for yourself, Christian! You need to learn that you can't fix everything. Some things aren't yours to control. Some people aren't going to be there forever. It's the flux and flow of life. Feel sorry for those who don't know how to get over their pain. Feel sorry for those falling into the blackness. It's time to get up and be yourself.
I know that one day this pain will transition into happiness. I'm looking forward to that day. Right now, all I can do is pray. Let me know if you need any.
-Christian