Thursday, October 9, 2014

How's Your Pain

A very wise young lady spoke at her sister's funeral yesterday.  While I find it amazing that she was able to stand and speak, it's even more so because of the profound words she spoke.

Sydney...that's her name...began by reading an excerpt from a book.  The jest of the excerpt was dealing with the familiar question, "How's your pain?" That's what we often hear when visiting the ER either in real life or through movies, TV, or books.  "How's your pain? On a scale of 1-10, how's your pain?"  If we are really strong we might say a number that is less than another person might say, but in a nutshell, the 1-10 scale is fairly effective in giving medical personnel the quick needed information to get things going in the ER. "How's your pain?"

This wise young girl went on to read a poem titled "Footprints in the Sand."


After reading the poem she linked the ER excerpt to the footprints poem.  So now...on the day she was speaking at her sister's funeral...she would describe her pain as a 10...but she knows without a shadow of a doubt that there is only one set of footprints in the sand.

All of us at one time or another have experienced the pain of a 10.  We are human and life can be unfair at times...so pain is bound to be part of it.  What Sydney reminded me yesterday is that God is willing to carry us through the pain until we are back at a level that we can handle.  I am so guilty of trying to take on all the pain myself instead of allowing God to carry me through.  He wants to carry all of us...we just have to be willing to let him.  This verse from Isaiah, along with many other verses, reminds us of God's desire to carry us through the pain.


So thank you Sydney, for reminding me that God will be the footprints when the pain is too much for me to go on.  You are wise beyond your years.