CHRONIC PAIN

The whole world is hurting in some way. The pain runs so deep. Far too many people are searching for something to fulfill them and falling short of finding it because they're not even sure what it is they're looking for. We have smug Christians, like me (yes, I am guilty) looking down on the secular world and wondering what is wrong with them. What is wrong with the secular world? They don't have Jesus. We haven't been very good about bringing the Good News in a good way to them.

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 

-Romans 3:23 (ESV)

Why is this important? Isn't this supposed to be a blog about healing from sexual trauma? Absolutely, it is. What have I said time and again? Full healing comes from Christ. Where does pain come from? The world. Sin. Satan is running amok with his merry band of demons, working like mad to turn us all away from Christ. The root of all our pain is sin. Ours and the sins committed against us, which are ultimately sins against God. We need Jesus. The world needs Jesus. 

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” -Revelation 21:4

So how do we bring Jesus to the world? First, we heal. We dig into our Bibles like it's our last meal and we need to devour every morsel. We pray, fervently. We pray for our healing, for our abusers, for those who are helping us along in our journey, and for our Pastors and the clergy at our church. We pray for our Salvation and the salvation of others. And we never stop. When we see someone in pain, we pray. When we see something good, pure, and beautiful, we pray. When we're thankful, we pray. Whatever we're doing, we pray. Invite God into every moment of life. 

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. -1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (ESV)

I have a chronic issue called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome which is inherited from my parents. It's very painful and I have a lot of flare-ups that cause extreme pain and sometimes immobility in parts of my body for days at a time. It's easy to get discouraged when I have a flare-up because the pain is so great, I can easily relate it to the pain of childbirth. This week, the Lord reminded me of a young boy in my church who has asthma and has been having a lot of trouble breathing with the constant smoke in the air from Oregon wildfires. The Lord gently chided me, reminding me that if that sweet young boy can remain joyful in the face of a chronic illness, so can I. 

One of the things I did this week while in pain was to
organize my seed collection. Gardening is a hobby
 that brings me immense joy and I can do aspects of it,
like organizing seeds, even while in pain.

There are many intricacies to healing. It's not one size fits all, aside from a universal need for Jesus. No one's journey is going to look exactly like someone else's and that's okay. For me to heal, I have to accept that I have a chronic issue that causes me to lose control of my own body sometimes. That's hard to take. I was very angry this week because I felt like I was losing control of everything, but that wasn't really true. What was true is that Jesus held me in His hands while I healed from a flare-up. He allowed me downtime to read my Bible more and to pray. 

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. -Proverbs 3:5 (ESV)

I'm sharing all of this with you because I never want to dissuade you from sharing your true selves with your care team - whatever that looks like for you. In being transparent with each other, we can lift each other up and empower one another to face our issues head-on and find true and lasting healing. There is no good to come from keeping the truth in the dark. The devil will use that and run with it. Remember, all darkness, no matter how small and insignificant it may seem, needs to be exposed to the Light. This is how we find true healing in Jesus Christ. 

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord...The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? -Jeremiah 17:7,9 (ESV)

God understands us. He made us. He knows us. He sees us. He hears us. He is always with us. And He asks that we share His Word, share the news of His healing, and encourage others with the same encouragement that has been given to us. I love you. But more importantly, God loves you.  

Stay tuned for another episode. I aim to crank out the blog posts three times a week on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. See you next time! And remember, if you or a loved one is in danger, get help immediately, and don't stop talking until someone acts on your words.

National Domestic Abuse Hotline: 800-799-7233 Hours: 24/7. Languages: English, Spanish, and 200+ through interpretation service. SMS: Text START to 88788

National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-4673 Hours: Available 24 hours. https://www.rainn.org/

988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Hours: Available 24 hours. Languages: English, Spanish. https://988lifeline.org/

In Christ alone our hope is found

Run, don't walk for help! You're worth it.