Today I’m feeling led to talk about something unpleasant but very real. I plan to do a series on this topic because one swipe at it just isn’t enough. It’s about suffering with grace when pain doesn’t yield to our prayers of faith.
Since 2004 I have suffered with chronic pain. It has never caused me to throw in the towel or completely lose heart, but it has been a constant drain on my energy, vitality, mobility and ability to complete what I have in my heart to do. It has been difficult to bear even though I often haven’t shown it. I’ve pressed on anyway and done my best to live and love with all my heart. But it has been an unwanted hindrance for many years.
I battled trigeminal neuralgia, after-effects of neurosurgery, and structural issues resulting from that surgery for several years, but am now fully recovered from that, thank God! Since 2012 I’ve lived with chronic pain from an injury that was only recently diagnosed as a severed tendon and badly torn labrum. Currently I’m recovering from a hip surgery to repair both of these things. This has given me hope of a future unhindered by this physical pain. It will take some time to get there, but I have hope!
The reason I am writing this today is for your sake – for those of you who know what it’s like to endure long-term suffering. Maybe you haven’t felt like anyone can understand how hard it has been for you. I think there are many, many people who I’m writing about today who can identify with what I’m sharing.
I just want you to know that you’re not alone. God is always with you!
Chronic suffering of any kind – debilitating sickness, physical pain, emotional pain, relational pain, prolonged hardship – can really wear you down. Even if you are determined not to let it get you down, it still does sometimes.
Here is a passage of Scripture that rings true for us all:
If troubles weigh us down, that just means that we will receive even more comfort to pass on to you for your deliverance! For the comfort pouring into us empowers us to bring comfort to you. And with this comfort upholding you, you can endure victoriously the same suffering that we experience. Now our hope for you is unshakable, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings you will also share in God’s comforting strength. 2 Corinthians 1:6,7 TPT
I can’t imagine what life would be like without Jesus! He is the source of all that comfort. I have experienced it again and again! He shares in our sufferings – every big one and every little one – so we are never alone. Some of the deepest, most profound experiences of the love of God I’ve experienced have come in the midst of pain.
I absolutely believe in God’s healing power and have been wonderfully supernaturally healed on a number of occasions! I will write more on this next week.
But for today, remember that Jesus is very near to you always and He cares deeply for you. All your sufferings are His sufferings too! The comfort He gives is far better than any available on this earth.
I pray for you, that His comfort will pour into your body, soul and spirit, buoying you up, giving you supernatural grace to suffer gracefully.
With compassion,
Terri
Note that Fully Alive Coaching is now Terri Sullivant Coaching – https://radiusministries.org
