A Long Silence…Only a Pause
Hi Friends. So sorry for the long absence. I feel like we were in the middle of a conversation and I suddenly went and took a nap. So rude! I see that some of you have been checking in, probably wondering if I would reappear. Thanks so much. I appreciate that.
Fibromyalgia Surprise
I was surprised by a Fibromyalgia flare-up. I was diagnosed with FMS in July of 1997, so I’ve dealt with this for a long time and I’ve greatly recovered over the years. I can’t remember the last time (before this) I had such pain. But I was overzealous on a workout machine one day and irritated my chest muscles (they’re a little sensitive like that.) The next day they ached and the next day they hurt worse. Soon, they were intensely unhappy and me along with them!
It took three weeks to get back to completely pain free and because it was my chest wall muscles that were inflamed, some everyday things were difficult, like—oh I don’t know—breathing! Breathing, talking, singing, using my arms (yes, it’s all connected) became a challenge. I had to pull back and wait it out.
That’s what we have to do sometimes.
Be Still & Wait
I much prefer the “press forward, push ahead, try harder and make it happen” approach. But I have learned (the hard way) that is not wise when it comes to my body and Fibromyalgia. Pushing forward, in the sense of not listening to the pain, will make it worse. Much worse.
Sometimes, we do what we can and wait. In this case, what I could do was take Ibuprofen, apply a topical anti-inflammatory and hold still. I could also pray…and wait. “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength;” Isaiah 40:31 (KJV).
Listen to Pain
Pain should always get our attention. It is designed to make us listen. We are supposed to hear what pain is saying. Pain points us to a problem. And yet, so often we ignore pain in our lives. We think we are being tough and pushing through, but we are not listening to the pain or the problem to which it is trying to point us.
Pain is a signal something is wrong and a call to action.
Pain: A Call to Action
Physically, that call to action may be a call to rest and hold still (seems counter-intuitive, but it is a call to do what will help the problem causing the pain) or it may be a call to go to the doctor, set the broken leg or have surgery to correct an internal problem.
Emotionally and spiritually, pain is the same kind of call to action. If our emotions or spirit is hurting, we need to attend to that. Maybe we need to kindly give ourselves a band-aid over the hurtful words said to us last week. Maybe we need to set a “broken bone” by giving it a cast of forgiveness to heal a big betrayal. Or maybe there is a buried internal problem that started long ago, and Jesus needs to do spiritual surgery to correct it. He can go in deep and take out the poison or disease and all the damage it has caused and bring complete healing to that place.
The Lord, Our Healer
The most important thing is to acknowledge this kind of pain and take it to the Lord. What is the specific situation, conversation, relationship or memory causing pain? What does the Word say about it?
Do we need His comfort? He offers it to us every moment. Do we need to forgive or ask forgiveness? We must take that action. The Lord is our help. We must not try to bury it or it will get worse. Much worse.
May you find continued freedom from all pain.
What kind of pain do you need to bring before the Lord for healing today?