Pain and Prosperity

As I lay awake, unable to sleep due to ignorantly and accidentally taking DayQuil, instead of NyQuil to combat my sore throat and sinuses, I begin to realize and question how much we take things for granted. When we are sick, or injured, we think about how much we would appreciate it if we could just stop hurting. Or we wonder, 'Why didn't I appreciate when I wasn't going through this.' For me, it's this stupid cough. The first week on break, my first real week of freedom, and of course, I get a head cold. Lucky me.

Now there's a side of me that wants to find reason to complain, and gain sympathy from those around me. But in my insomnia and challenging nature, I find interest in looking at everything from another perspective.

Pain. Everyone has gone through it, everyone has experienced trauma, discouragement, regret. All things which have left a mark on us, damaged us, left us broken and uncertain, questioning whether there will ever be a brighter future. Wondering if what we have been through is preventing us from being all that we were made to be.

Let's start with the physical pains. Although uncomfortable, physical pains are probably the easiest to deal with when you really think about it. When you break a bone, tear a muscle, or accidentally cut yourself you feel an immediate and sharp sensation of shock. In no way is it pleasing, but over time the sensitivity and tenderness fades, as you heal. (I'm no biology guy, but the human bodies repair system is one of the most brilliant things on this earth) Even the most traumatic injuries and damages can become blemishes of the past with time. My sophomore year of high school, I had an extreme sports injury on my wrist that required an invasive surgery with a plate and six titanium screws. Most people would think an injury of that degree would come from doing something amazing and memorable, but, sadly enough, I just slipped on the tile at a swim meet--ending my season. But what does that really matter? (That David Guetta song was totally written for and about me) Anyways--At the time, I never thought that I would be able to do any of my favorite activities again, including competing in archery. Miraculously however, nine months later, I was cleared to return to my daily life, with only the remnants of a centipede-looking scar to tell a story.

Now there are some aspects of pain, that we just can't really explain. We know that they hurt, and that they are effecting our life, but we don't know what to do about them. We beat ourselves up trying to determine what we are feeling, and we live under the daily notion that we would rather do something that brings us temporary fulfillment, and deal with the consequences later, than process the uncertainty transcended by confusion. This is the basis for the most difficult aspect of hurt--emotional pain. Emotional pain, and spiritual hurt stems from a couple main factors but can all relay itself back to one thing--brokenness. Torn and neglected relationships whether by family members, previous girlfriends, boyfriends or otherwise, is one of the most prominent variables that lead to brokenness. Maybe it's that someone took something from you that you can never get back, or you gave something to them, and didn't receive that same equal treatment in return. You feel as if you invested your whole self into someone else, and was left feeling rejected because of their conceited or apathetic response. Maybe you've been left feeling inadequate because you can't fill the heightened expectations, established on unfair and inopportune grounds. It could also just be that you feel isolated because rather than dealing with the consequences and fallback, you find it easier to keep things to yourself and ignore communication and interpersonal connections entirely; only leading to a continual buildup of unforeseen pressure. Regardless, it causes pain. A pain that's harder to cope with than that of a psychical ailment.

When we face physical harm, we often respond immediately and take action to cope with the pain. When we get cut, we use Neosporin and a Band-Aid. When we roll an ankle, we use an Ice-Paks and an Ace-Bandage. When we break a bone, we get a hard cast or a splint. When we feel sick, we take antibiotics and medicines. Now you're probably wondering why I'm telling something you probably already know (If you don't, I encourage taking a first-aid course) This reveals something about our humanity. When we feel pain, it let's us know that something isn't right. We have to take measures to doctor up our wounds, so that they can heal, and return to the way that they were intended to be.

Now let me ask you this. What have you done to heal your emotional wounds? Just think about that for a minute....Now, you might argue that you can't heal an abstract and theoretical concept...and well you're right. But if you are emotionally hurt, and you aren't taking the proper measures to change your conditions and well being, maybe you should highly consider changing or removing yourself the situation that you are in, because it will only continue to cause you pain. Unfortunately our society, tends to criticize this mindset, as being weak or unfaithful, but the same ideology applies. Pains of all types lets us know that something isn't right, and that there's something that we need to take care of, or it will only continue to grow, become more infected, and more personally damaging.

If this means anything, I hope you understand that the pains you feel are real, so don't dis-acknowledge them. Find someone to share these burdens with, because we were never meant to live this live alone. But at the same time, realize that that pain is your instinct and identity letting you know that what you are doing is causing you harm or damage, and that as difficult as it may be, it may require an adjustment in the lifestyle you're in. Life isn't always easy, but it's always worth it!

-Nick