pain - the end of the matter

There is no end to the matter.  At least not in this life.

If you are fortunate to have a life that is free from the VERY painful things.......
You know, if your life looked like this........ you were loved, you were married, you didn't experience a divorce, you had kids, they were healthy, they all grew up and got good jobs, all of your loves ones lived a long full life and died in their sleep...... or what ever our picture of the perfect life is like....

If you lived that magical life that most people say that they want, you are still going to find pain.  Eventually.  If you live long enough, your skin is going to get thin.  You are going to bump your arm on a corner and get a bruise.  Your ears are going to keep growing and get larger than you are comfortable with.  Hair will stop growing on your head and will grow instead out of your ears.  Your bones will begin to become brittle.  Your energy levels will fade.

In this life, if you live long enough, you are going to find pain.  Period.  Those who say otherwise are selling something.  Trusting God does not make difficulty go away.  The Shepherd is not a magic problem solver, but he does promise to walk with us in the valleys of life.

The question is what do we do with the pain that comes our way. 
What ever is on your plate, I encourage you to grieve, but I also encourage you to be brave.  Mostly, I encourage you to lean into our Father.  It's ok to have questions about the level of difficulty that you face in this life.  It is ok to be angry about things, but don't stay stuck there. 

Our God is a friend who comforts us in difficulty.  Let's acknowledge the pain, and learn to look past it, to see him with us at all times and in all things.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.