Pain

I have been thinking a lot about pain lately. Mostly emotional pain. I was thinking about how I can control my own pain. I hate that emotional feeling of being in pain. I hate that heartache that accompanies disappointment and devastation. I have been amazed at just how much pain there is in this world. How hard a lot of peoples lives are. I think about our Heavenly Father and how hard it must be to watch his children making choices that will cause them harm. I think about how to avoid pain. If I do this, I won't have to be in that situation. Yes this is good for choices having to do with the commandments but there are things that happen that are painful but that we didn't cause to happen to us. I see marriages struggle because one partner isn't making righteous choices. I see people who have cancer or who have just lost a child to cancer. I see people who struggle from addiction. Friends who have physical, mental and/or emotional disabilities. I know everyone else sees these situations around them, or perhaps they are suffering from these themselves. As I was thinking about how to avoid all this pain and not feel it, I gently heard my answer. Life is hard. We knew it would be! But the purpose of this life isn't to try and avoid the pain that we can't control, our purpose is to learn from the challenges while we are here.

It's not that I have been depressed as I am thinking about all the pain, (that does sound depressing) I just have really felt empathy for those suffering around me. As we go through trials we have the opportunity to get to know our Savior Jesus Christ. I can't imagine how He and our Heavenly Father feel watching us in pain. I have been reading a blog about a guy suffering from Bipolar, depression, Autism, and same sex attraction. He is a faithful member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and writes about the struggles he faces and the things that he has learned about the Lord as he is drawing closer to Him through his trials. David, the author, talks about how the Lord only gives us blessings. Everything that the Lord gives is a blessing. We may see it as the worst thing in the world but He sees the bigger picture. He knows that we have to go through the pain so that we can learn what we need to, to become who we were meant to be.

It is also important for me to remember that just as there is pain, there is also so much happiness! In fact there is even more! The spirit of the Lord is Stronger than the Storm! Yes there is pain in my life, yes I truly feel for those suffering around me and yes there is going to be even more pain as I progress in my life, but Heavenly Father didn't send us here to be in pain. He sent us here to be happy. To find joy in the little things. To remember the big picture. To know that He is always with us when we want him to be. There may be times when we can not feel him near, but don't give up! Don't lose your footing! Keep holding on to the iron rod. For therein lies the eternal happiness. Life is hard, but remember the council from Paul in Philippians 4:6-7

 6 ^aBe ^bcareful for nothing; but in every thing by ^cprayer and supplication with ^dthanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

 7 And the ^apeace of God, which passeth all ^bunderstanding, shall ^ckeep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

I love how the Greek translation for a. is "Don’t be unduly concerned about anything" b. "afflicted"

And then in verse 7 the c. it means "guard"

I know that our Heavenly Father wants us to be happy. He wants us to feel empathy for others and He wants us to serve those that our suffering. I have come to the conclusion that there is no way to avoid pain. And if I did, I would only be hurting myself, I would never grow. But instead of focusing on pain, its vital to focus on the love and happiness that surrounds us all! Especially in those situations of pain. So next time you find yourself in a situation where you can only feel pain, let yourself have a cry and then look for the blessings amidst the affliction. You will be comforted with the love and peace that our Savior can bring.