God wants to help you through your pain. But you have to want His help and talk to Him about assisting you.

Sunday, the day we are suppose to be in church praising God Almight. So, here I am in bed with my pain pills.

This isssue of pain management can be a major hurdle for many. It may be a short term issue or more chronic pain like mine. Pain is associated with serious, life and death issues, such as cancer or AIDS, or it may be injury related, whether temporary or permanent.

Either way, whatever the combination, the issues surrounding how one feels and reacts, how one deals with pain presents a major challenge to both the patient and the caregiver. Today, for example, I am at home while my wife and daughter are at church. I did manage to read a little Isaiah, my current spot in reading through the Scriptures. But, there is no fellowship, no music, no laughter. Just me and the cat.

Of course, you could add music and fake fellowship via the TV or radio, but the conversations do not flow. The guy on the radio never seems to answer the question I ask.

One can become lonely and depressed very quickly.

I admit to bouts of loneliness, frustration, maybe depression, but I have found in almost three years of fighting this pain that most of the time my mental and emotional attitude has been good. I can ascribed this good feeling only to Jesus. By being faithful in my devotions and Bible study, by doing things when I am capable, by remembering that God is in control of my pain, my emotions, my life, and by not focusing on the pain, I survive in good spirits. I may not like my life, when measured against any earthly standards, but God and I are ok, so I am ok.

Please notice that this does not mean that I manage to read my Bible every day, or even at the same time on those days I do read it. But I talk to God every day, several times a day most days, unless the medicines have so knocked me out that I sleep the day away. God understands. He hurt on the Cross, and before. Jesus knows real pain, just like mine or yours. Allow God to deal with your pain at the emotional level. It wll still hurt, because for His own purposes He has not healed the physical pain. However, He will heal the emotional pains, if you let Him. This is your choice, the choice of turning to Go. I believe that once you start talking to Him on a consistent basis, when you are able, He will talk back to you when you are not able. He understands what you are physically capable of achieving. He will not ask for more than you have to give. He just wants you to involve Him in your pain management, and in your life - your daily life.

Sundays are a day of praise to God. Even in you pain you can praise Him by saying something like . . .

Lord Jesus, thanks for being with me. You are always here when no one else is.

Jim A