Living with Pain

It’s not going to go away. The realization may have been years in the making, or it may have come in one swift, devastating stroke. But at last you know that pain—your pain, whatever it may be—is here to stay. Perhaps it is an illness, or a rebellious child, a chronic muscle problem, the death of a loved one, or a severe disability in the family. Whatever form it takes, it’s the common experience of all people. Human pain wears a thousand guises.

Although I have lived as a quadriplegic for more than 45 years and have survived stage 3 cancer, both conditions pale when it comes to living with chronic pain. Ten years ago, I began experiencing a knifing pain in my left hip and back. Others may say I’m a stalwart and seasoned Christian, but I’ll confess: When chronic pain moves in to stay, it can erode your joy like acid, warp your personality, and rob you of the ability to tackle the smallest of tasks. When you are in pain:

You dial down your days into hourly increments: If only I can make it to the next hour, and then, bedtime.

Your bed is no longer the place of comfort and rest it once was: I can’t get to sleep again tonight. When will morning ever come?

Pain and chronic illness distract you from important relationships: I don’t even know what a normal life is anymore, and my battle with pain seems to be pushing people away!

Pain and illness can end up defining who you are: I feel like the real “me” has been hijacked! How can I live this way?

Because we know God holds all the keys of the universe, we also know he sees and governs everything that happens on earth.

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