Pain is Pain

 

Loss

We have all experienced it at some point in our lives. It seems there is no end to the suffering people endure. I get prayer requests from friends and family and read about strangers that I add to my ever growing prayer list. Unbearable pain and suffering. 

• Cancer
• Miscarriage
• Suicide attempts 
• Burying a child

Then there are other losses that don't seem as life-altering. Seemingly not as tragic. But to the person going through them, they are.

I have learned that you can not compare your pain. 

There's no scale to measure pain and loss. The pain is real. The loss is heartbreaking. Some things are public knowledge. It's in the news. It's all over social media. It's the talk of the town. However, there are also things that people never see because we don't discuss them. We don't bother mentioning it because, compared to what other people are dealing with, we tell ourselves, "It could be worse." 

• Deepening depression
• Job loss
• Financial instability
• Paralyzing anxiety
• Relational decay

Friends, I know it hurts. I know it's hard. But we don't have to go through this alone. There is always someone we can turn to. I can bet that there is someone in your life who knows exactly how you are feeling because they, too, have had the same fears, hurts, and loss in their lives. Part of healing is sharing with others what's going on in our lives and hearts. 

We were not put on this earth to go through life alone. To suffer in silence. To suck it up and deal with it. If you have been told that, or heard those hurtful words through the years, it's just not true. 

It's important to reach out and accept help to get through the trying times. Even Jesus told us that in this life, there will be trouble. He didn't say that you would live a trouble-free life if you were a good person or believed in Him. That's not reality. Everyone is either coming out of a trial or entering into one. 

Life is harder than we ever imagined.

Some things happen that we will never understand this side of heaven. Our lives take a turn in a direction we never could have foreseen. 

• We are paralyzed with fear. 
• We have a hard time getting out of bed in the morning. 
• We have nightmares when we close our eyes.
• And the nightmare continues when we open them up again. 

My heart breaks for you, friend. I wish I could take away your pain. I can't. But maybe little by little, day by day, you can get closer to healing as you open up to others and put your heart in the hands of Jesus. He can bring you out of this. You are able to live happily ever after, after. Believe that. There are better days ahead. Always.

The Lord is near to the brokenhearted

 and saves those who are crushed in spirit. 

- Psalm 34:18