Pain's Potential

For some time now I’ve been noticing that the greater the pain, the more potential it has to be productive.

Pain—Potential—Productivity

Potential is the key word. It doesn’t happen automatically. We have a choice.

I’ve seen it and you have, too. Someone is hurt by somebody, and they hang onto that pain forever. They get stuck.

I can see that God wants it otherwise. He wants us to use our pain to become better people and to help others who have similar pain.

I’ve seen it this year. Just after my ALS diagnosis I wasn’t sure if I would go “private” or “public” with my disease. It wouldn’t have been hard for me to get stuck in self pity. You know, “Why me? Poor me!” But God seemed to be nudging me toward being open with my process, and I’m glad he did because the feedback has confirmed that God is using my pain to help some of you. That’s so encouraging. And that bounces back and encourages me, too. Ping pong encouragement!

I can’t deny that my body is declining:

--My days of speaking on the telephone are almost over. People on the other end just can’t understand me anymore. In person it’s easier, because I can use facial expressions and/or hand gestures to get my point across. But I’m glad that I’ll be getting my speaking machine soon. I wonder if it will have a “phone feature.” I hope so! (Smile!)

--My walking is becoming shakier. When I’m barefoot I can see my toes gripping the floor, trying to keep me steady. I’m thankful for my trusty “shopping cart,” but I’m also thankful that my wheelchairs are now on order—one simple one for immediate use (I chose one with yellow trim!) and one fancy, electronic one for later. (That one will be “cosmic blue”!)

--My eating is becoming trickier. I have to eat slowly and remember not to converse. (That’s hard for a perpetual talker!) My speech therapist explained that the little flap that closes off the windpipe is getting lazy, so I have to be careful not to aspirate food. That means that if I remember to just take small bites, chew a lot, and not talk--I do fine.

On the other hand our blessings seem to be multiplying faster:

--We’ve had multiple houseguests and that has been terrifically energizing.

--We’ve had regular sweet times with our son David’s family and are greatly anticipating our upcoming trip to Pennsylvania to spend time with Paul’s.

--We’ve got many in our community who are blessing us by helping with a variety of tasks.

--Plus, many of you have sent us letters and gifts, and we feel like the richest people in the world!

So I rejoice in this:
“We know that in ALL things God works for the good of those who love him.” Romans 8:28a

Now imagine this! I had been thinking about these things, then on Friday I read the following piece in Max Lucado’s second Grace for the Moment devotional book:

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“What do we do with disappointments?

We could do what Miss Haversham did. Remember her in Charles Dickens’s Great Expectations? Jilted by her fiancé just prior to the wedding,…she closed all the blinds in the house, stopped every clock, left the wedding cake on the table to gather cobwebs, and wore her wedding dress until it hung in yellow decay around her shrunken form. Her wounded heart consumed her life.

We can follow the same course.

Or we can follow the example of the apostle Paul. His goal was to be a missionary in Spain…however, God sent him to prison. Sitting in a Roman jail, Paul could have made the same choice as Miss Haversham, but he didn’t. Instead he said, 'As long as I’m here, I might as well write a few letters.' Hence your Bible has the Epistles to Philemon, the Philippians, the Colossians, and the Ephesians.”

***
Wow!

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