My eyes opened once again to pain. With no position comfortable I shuffle about trying to find relief. The past few days were good, but not today. Pain, the kind that even hurts when you breathe, the kind that robs your thoughts and threatens to steal the brightness of a new day, a new week. The big question is, will I let it? The second question comes close on the heels of the first, and how can I not let the pain steal from me ?
I take a hot shower, down a mega dose of Advil, apply ice and wait. What am I waiting for? Relief! I just want to feel better, just want the pain to stop, just want to…
Then it hits me, not like a stick over the head but instead the opening of a page before me….
“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith, as you were taught and overflowing with thankfulness.” Colossians 2:6-7
How do we live the start of another new week when life seems unfair, pain threatens to rob the joy , or circumstances are uncomfortable?
It’s when things are painful that we desperately root for instruction and guidance. Sadly when things are fine we move about in our best wisdom, following our best ideas in the moment. Not so when things are hard and we’ve run out of solutions. It is in those times that we find ourselves hungry for God-sized wisdom, running to Him for guidance.Funny thing is, God-sized wisdom is usually basic. It’s not fly to the stars type of wisdom but rather put your shoes on and walk kind of instruction.
This Colossians passage has a few things to say to me this morning. Perhaps it will speak to you too.
Just as I received Christ….I remember that night like it was yesterday. Etched in my memory is a college aged girl with her whole life ahead of her. Where were you when you received Christ? What was it in life that drove you there? Did you receive Christ with surrender and hope? Go back in your mind to that first love moment, that blush of hope, that heartbeat of future promise.
Continue to live IN HIM... For me it started that night in 1973. The road has had bumps, my heart has had bruises, but I have to recall that night, the first moment of fresh surrender. You too…don’t forget the surrender, the love, the rhythm of his grace. Life may be hard, the body , mind or relationships painful…but don’t forget that you are IN HIM and continue on there.
Strengthened in the faith…Faith comes from hearing God’s Word. But sometimes we don’t want to hear it. Still, in those times, refuse to turn your ear away. Rather force feed yourself a little truth. Just as I shuffled around the house making my body move, tears streaming as I reached for the pain medication….I too must walk my mind right up to God’s word. Faith starts with an action step of hearing the word and finishes with the practicing or acting out of that word.
This morning as I lay my head on the granite counter in my kitchen. As tears formed and breathing hurt. I opened my Bible, yes randomly, it opened up to Colossians 2. And, as my eyes fell on the words…Continue to Live IN Him…I knew that I needed this Word as much as I needed my Advil. One would supply relief for the physical pain, but the other would provide guidance for living out the next many hours while dealing with not so perfect circumstances.
here are you today? What kind of week will it be? Constrained by circumstances or fueled in thankfulness? My heart is now synching a beat with the word,
continue….continue…continue….continue in Him.
Make it a great day,
Debbie
Praying for you Debbie. Back pain is awful – I’ve lived through many times with it and I understand. Your writing, your inspiration – LIVE IN HIM…look up. I needed that as well today. Been sick and through that the worry/anxiety “bug” struck me big time so now I’ve been fretting over flutters and irregularities I feel in my heart (which I know anxiety/stress/panic attacks) mimic stuff. When I rest in Him, call His name I immediately feel the calm and voila – it goes away. Now if one can remain IN HIM and not back pedal – that is my problem.
Take care and thank you for you.
Dear Debbie,
Today, as I turned on my laptop to study a scripture, your website stared me in the face. I had’nt looked at this site since August when I met you for the first time at the Murrieta Springs Womens Retreat. I recall that weekend well as my drive to the retreat I broke out in a painful rash that had become progressively worsd. Instead of enjoying my time there, I found myself isolated in pain rather than connecting with women. In retrospect, I see it as God way of isolating me for Himself and it where he opened my eyes to see my lifes purpose.
In a desperate, weak state, I met with you one night in the lobby where you encouraged me and prayed over me. I suffered with that itchy burning rash from August til January. The pain was all encompassing, as you said in your blog, to keep on keeping on is exactly what the Lord was telling me to do through my pain, so I did, I grinned and bared it, thanking Him for the refining fire. As of January 1st, I am healed! I believe God led me here to your blog today that I may encourage you…your healing is coming, that is what the Lord told me, I believe that for you too!…Last night I pondered upon INFARED SAUNA’s…it’s wonderful for deep tissue/joint pain, I don’t know what has caused your pain, but you may find that this treatment may help you!…let’s believe that this discovery is a divine word from God to aid in your healing…it is coming Debbie!
God bless you big time!!!
In His Love,
Beth
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