Is laughter the best medicine?

Laughter can conceal a heavy heart, but when the laughter ends, the grief remains. (Proverbs 14:13)

Nicolas Chamfort said, "The most wasted day of all is that on which we have not laughed." Laughter is not always from a cheerful and giddy heart. There are many times it conceals a hurt much deeper than the naked eye can see. There is little mirth in fear, but someone who is fearful can giggle or laugh in their nervousness over the situation. Sometimes there is very little 'amusement' in what is going on in someone's life, but there will be laughter instead of tears. We may never know what a laugh really conceals, but when we are open to being led by the Holy Spirit, the opportunity to help someone past their fear, grief, or inner pain may reveal itself.

What makes a heart heavy? We all realize loss can weigh a heart down, sometimes for a long time. There are times when our heart is made heavy because of what we are feeling for others - experiencing just a bit of their pain over something catastrophic in their lives. Probably the worst kind of 'heaviness of heart' is when our sin-nature gets the best of us, and we fall for some temptation that we should have avoided completely. This one brings more than just a 'heaviness' of heart - it can carry a whole lot of guilt that just piles on over the top of our sorrow, making the burden quite heavy to carry at times. We might attempt to 'laugh away' that guilt and sorrow, but the only true means of being 'unburdened' from it is to confess it and let God restore your heart.

Some tell-tale signs that someone might be concealing a bit more under that laughter could be:

- Laughing when the topic is touched upon and then quickly changing the subject, so they don't have to dwell upon it

- Laughing as the subject is brought up, then continuing to use sarcastic humor to 'poke fun' at oneself

- Laughing at a suggestion that they might benefit from a little help, or perhaps confiding in someone they trust about whatever it is that is causing them so much pain

These are but a few, but you likely know of some ways we 'conceal' our heaviness of heart just by looking at how YOU do it on occasion. Realize that we aren't alone in this 'concealment' process - we all have our 'coping mechanisms' - good and bad.

How can we be sensitive to someone's heaviness of heart today? It begins by asking God to open our eyes, ears, and heart to others and their needs. When the Holy Spirit prompts, be ready to respond. Not all laughter will be the result of a heavy heart, but when one is being concealed, he will reveal it to the one who has asked to be used to ease the burden of others. Just sayin!

One Aspirin, or Two?

Deal with your pain or it will deal with you. We have to actually 'process' our pain if we are to ever get beyond our pain. Pain comes in many forms - physical, emotional, relational, and even spiritual. We cannot ignore pain, but we try to push it down over and over again rather than taking it to God or seeking help for it. We hope that ignoring it will help us somehow, but it just brings repeated torment to us.

Distress that drives us to God does that. It turns us around. It gets us back in the way of salvation. We never regret that kind of pain. But those who let distress drive them away from God are full of regrets, end up on a deathbed of regrets. (2 Corinthians 7:10)

God's plan is for the pain to drive us closer to him - not further away. When we withdraw from the pain and try to bury it, we are allowing pain to drive us away from God. As much as God wants to be worshipped, he also wants us to be open with him in ALL our needs. Every weakness we have, he stands ready to make us strong, but we have to be honest about what it is we are experiencing.

Pain leaves us very weakened. Weakness taken to God will be made into strength. Nothing will change our past, but remember...God wants to heal our brokenness, regardless of what it is. We need trusted friends to share our pain with - we need to 'process' it and talking with a trusted friend can be the beginning of us getting to the other side of that pain. We will never heal until we begin to allow the wounds we bear to be exposed to the touch of God.

Many see absolutely NO purpose in their pain, but hear this clearly...God has a purpose, even though he isn't the one causing the pain. He will use it somehow, even when we think there is no redeeming quality that can come of it. Pain can be treated by seeking help, or it can be ignored, causing us even further discomfort in the form of shame, resentment, anger, mistrust, and the list goes on. Seek help for your pain. You don't need to live under with all that other discomfort! Just sayin!

But I don't feel loved...

Is there anyplace I can go to avoid your Spirit? to be out of your sight? If I climb to the sky, you’re there! If I go underground, you’re there! If I flew on morning’s wings to the far western horizon, you’d find me in a minute—you’re already there waiting! Then I said to myself, “Oh, he even sees me in the dark! At night I’m immersed in the light!” It’s a fact: darkness isn’t dark to you; night and day, darkness and light, they’re all the same to you. (Psalm 139:7-12)

Useless. Unsatisfactory. Not measuring up. One of the "darkest" places to be is in the place of rejection. There we find the individual actually believing they have no purpose in our lives - discarded by those who should accept them, oftentimes refusing to accept them and what they bring into their lives. One of the toughest things to learn to do with people who treat others as though they are "rejects" in this earth is to NOT reject them because of their "actions" of intolerance or superior judgment! It is only natural to want to reject those who hurt us, abuse us, or treat some of us as though our sins are too great to be forgiven. It is also a very dangerous place to tread - because when we move into a place of judge in their lives - a place ONLY God can occupy - we are treading on very shaky ground. I don't want to focus on the one who rejects so much as on the one who has been rejected today. The place of darkness this rejection creates in the lives of those who suffer at the hands of those who reject them is almost insurmountable - leading some to do unspeakable things - even the thought of taking one's own life.

What does an individual who is being rejected experience? The gamut of emotions range from being angry at those who reject them to feeling immensely useless and hopeless are quite common to those who have been rejected by others. In fact, the list of emotional ups and downs is probably too large to even begin to consider here this morning. Suffice it to say, rejection wreaks havoc on our emotions - and in turn, on our self-image, our ability to relate to others in the future, and the desire to ever begin to trust again. Why? Trust has been grossly violated. We placed some fragment of trust in the one who rejected us - now it is difficult to want to ever trust again. Relationships become a thing we fear rather than embrace. How we see ourselves is "shaded" by the impression the rejection has left - much like a hand print in wet cement hardens in time, always reflecting the impression left behind by the influence of the pressure exerted when the cement was at its most "form-able" phase.

Here we find the psalmist's heart exposing some of the anguish of his own rejection - he had been hurt by his closest of friends, wounded by children who just did not seem to understand the importance of his wisdom, and guilt-ridden in his own shame over sins he had committed. Sound like anyone we might know? I know his "experiences" in life hit close to home for me - this is probably why I associate so closely with David's teachings, and those of his son, Solomon. The heart of David constantly cried out to God for mercy. Truth be told...the heart of this gal constantly cries out to God for more grace, more mercy, more of Christ in me. David is eloquent in describing just how one who experiences rejection "feels". They want to escape the pain. They look for a place to curl up so they can hide from the anguish of the rejection. There is an attempt to flee the pain - looking high and low for the thing which will cover over the intense sting rejection leaves. One who has been rejected by another wants to be out of sight - for even seeing themselves hurts!

We can try to escape God's Spirit, but where can we actually "go" to flee from God's compassion and his grace? The answer: NOWHERE! Why is it we are trying to escape God's Spirit anyway? Isn't it because we don't even believe God loves us at the point where we are experiencing such rejection from others? Does it come as any surprise to you to see Satan's "design" in the very actions of rejection? His goal is to get us AWAY (and keep us away) from the very thing which we need the most! His greatest joy comes when we flee from God! His greatest fear is when we run to God! We cannot avoid the Spirit of God. He is even there when we attempt to avoid him. We might purposefully attempt to avoid encountering him, but he purposefully pursues us anyway! We try to cover up or hide - not because we ARE unworthy, but because we FEEL unworthy. We believe the lie rejection brings - no one, not even God, wants us. The furthest thing is true - even when NO ONE wants us, God loves us deeply, embraces us closely, and believes in us immensely. When we feel the sting of rejection, it is natural to want to do one of two things. Either we begin to live a lie - falsely escalating in joyful cheer, making the others think all is well with us, or we attempt to flee underground, trying to escape without further "damages" being experienced.

The most amazing part of this God's just being THERE. Not by accident, but because he has determined to be waiting for us wherever we attempt to flee! Then I said to myself, “Oh, he even sees me in the dark! At night I’m immersed in the light!” It’s a fact: darkness isn’t dark to you; night and day, darkness and light, they’re all the same to you. Even in our darkest place, God immerses us in his light! Darkness isn't darkness to God! In fact, no darkness dwells where God is - God is everywhere we are, so where we are is in light, not darkness! I don't know the havoc rejection has brought into your life, but here's the hope I want you to find - God is not the author of this rejection! He is the author of YOU. As the author, he can re-write anything in your life which causes you pain. Sometimes it is in the actions of forgiving the one who rejected you. At other times, it is in the actions of coming out of hiding, learning to be comfortable with who you are and how God made you - all your quirks and hang-ups included. No "chapter" of your life is written in stone - except the Chapter of Grace! The author has seen to it that GRACE will always be a part of your life! First, grace to you - then, grace through you! God's grace is waiting to embrace you in this your most darkest of hours! Reach out - take his hand - he is already there waiting! Just sayin!

Do you have pain?

Do we somehow think we can go through life without any pain at all? There are multiple forms of pain, but the worst is always going to be described as the kind that will not let up. It just comes at you, and at you, and never relents. It could be emotional pain, physical pain, or even spiritual pain. There are all forms of pain - but one thing remains consistent with all forms of pain - we don't always have a right perspective about it. Pain overshadows all we can see and think - it just clouds whatever else is around us at the moment. Get a blister on your toe and see how long you focus on your foot, shoes you will put on them, and when it will finally heal. Twist your back lifting something the wrong way and see how long you focus on how you will rise, sit, lie, and reach without getting those twinges that send shooting pains throughout your torso. We focus on the pain, what we belief will give us relief from it, and even what we can 'put on it' to mask the constant nagging. We do the same thing when it is emotional pain, focusing on the hurt we feel from some 'wrong' done to us. We cannot see beyond the pain because it is all our minds will allow us to dwell upon. Pain has a purpose in our lives. We may not see the purpose because we are so focused on the pain!

His wrath, you see, is fleeting, but His grace lasts a lifetime. The deepest pains may linger through the night, but joy greets the soul with the smile of morning. You did it: You turned my deepest pains into joyful dancing; You stripped off my dark clothing and covered me with joyful light. (Psalm 30:5, 11)  I will gladly rejoice because of Your gracious love because You recognized the sadness of my affliction. You felt deep compassion when You saw the pains of my soul. (Psalm 31:7)

Just a couple quick questions for us this morning to help us evaluate what the purpose may be in our pain at this very moment, whatever form it may take:

- Do we believe God is the author of that pain? There are times I think we get carried away and blame God for our pain, thinking he caused it in our lives. If we lose a job, we blame him for not providing for our needs. If we have relationship woes, we blame him for not keeping the relationship free of distractions. If we wake up with a toothache, we blame him because we didn't need this pain right now in the midst of all the rest of the stuff we are having to deal with. God isn't the author of pain - he doesn't create pain in our lives. The loss of a job may be God's way of closing one door so he can allow us to walk through another. The relationship woes aren't his doing because we were the ones that got distracted - those distractions aren't even his doing! We can put so much focus on 'blaming' someone or something for our pain, but wouldn't it be better to ask God what purpose this present pain may serve in our lives instead of trying to assign blame? Maybe our pain is a wake-up call to refocus our lives - get our attention off of something we have been putting so much time and effort into at the exclusion of other things that need our focused attention.

- Do we ask God to give us clarity in the midst of pain? Pain muddles our minds, disturbs our hearts, unsettles our emotions, and creates havoc in our bodies. In all that murkiness it is easy to no longer see clearly - we don't see beyond the pain. When we ask God to give us clarity, we need to also be open to receive what he tells us. He may point out some areas where we have been less than stellar in our performance - so allow him to deal with those areas and see how much it changes our 'level of pain'. Some of us give ourselves the pain - we just keep doing stuff that brings pain. God will likely point out whatever it is that gives us that pain - just like when we focus on the shoe that rubbed our toe raw and presented us with the blister. It wasn't the shoe's fault, it was ours for not wearing socks! The clarity comes when we allow God to show us where it the 'pain points' are in our lives. Seeing where pain stems from is the beginning of wisdom in knowing how to rid ourselves of the pain. Just sayin!

Hey, it is okay if you are hurting!

Laughter cannot mask a heavy heart. When the laughter ends, the grief remains. (Proverbs 14:13) Erma Bombeck once reminded us, "There is a thin line that separates laughter and pain, comedy and tragedy, humor and hurt." This "thin line" as she calls it is really very concerning - for if it is crossed, the laughter can certainly turn to pain quite quickly. We never really know what is just beneath the surface in the lives of those we meet with each and every day. We might think we really know them, but in truth, there can be very little 'space' between immense sorrow and loneliness on the inside from what we see displayed as confidence and friendliness on the outside.

We need to become skilled 'readers' of the human condition. We might not always recognize just how close to grief or sorrow a man's heart may be until we cross the line into that 'finite space' between the happier self displayed on the surface and the hurting self hidden just beneath. We often hear this referenced when someone takes their own lives - those who knew the individual well sometimes not even really recognizing the sorrow that was hidden in the recesses of the individual's heart. The final 'note' left behind can be the only 'telling' sign of their tremendous anguish which burdened their hearts until the final beat. The human condition is indeed frail - we just don't recognize the depth of this frailty.

Back in the day, I loved to read those funny quips in Reader's Digest, for they were designed to get us to chuckle a little, if not openly laugh out loud. Most of us would relish the idea of a world where there was no sorrow or grief, but the truth of the matter is that grief does a great deal to refine what is in a man's heart. It could just be the purpose behind it! Sorrow is better than laughter, for sadness has a refining influence on us. (Ecclesiastes 7:3) I wonder how different our encounters would be if we were to ask someone what is bringing them sorrow in their life right now? I wonder just how many of us would admit we are in the refiner's fire? Most wouldn't - but the brave will!

While all of life is not going to be fun and games, not all of life is going to be sorrow and pain, either. When it does come, though, do we embrace it, or do we bury it? Buried grief is not really going to do us any good - it just burns a hole deep into our souls. While we might want to display a cheerful life on the surface, just beneath is this tremendous weight we carry. Maybe the best thing we can do for a friend is to just hold their hand, allowing them to unburden their hearts, and coming to terms with the immense grief that has dug deep into their souls. It might just be that we connect more on the 'sorrow' level with each other than on the 'happiness' level! It might just be the place where our breakthrough comes in life. Just sayin!

Frozen in place

Have you ever watched a javelina - a hog well-adapted for the Sonoran Desert region? Catch them wandering into your yard for a quick feast on your flora or fauna and you will be surprised by how quickly they just 'freeze' in place. In the desert, their brown color makes them blend in as though they were a rock just standing there. In the greenery of your grassy yard, that just looks dumb! They freeze because they are hoping to avoid their predators - they want to survive! Fear can be a pretty disabling thing in the life of animals, but in the life of a human being, it can cripple. Whenever fear is allowed to be the controlling influence, we become dead in the water. Fear is defined as a distressing emotion - fueled by impending danger, evil or pain - whether the threat is real or imagined. There are times that our fears are ill-founded - more "made up" than real - but we treat them as real, just at the javelina might do when being caught in the yard by someone who is unarmed and with no ill-intent in mind.

God is love. When we take up permanent residence in a life of love, we live in God and God lives in us. This way, love has the run of the house, becomes at home and mature in us, so that we're free of worry on Judgment Day—our standing in the world is identical with Christ's. There is no room in love for fear. Well-formed love banishes fear. Since fear is crippling, a fearful life—fear of death, fear of judgment—is one not yet fully formed in love.
(I John 4:7-18)

God's intention is that we will bring our emotions into alignment with what the Word reveals - giving us limitations in where our mind will take us and structure as to how our responses should come. The passage above speaks of the love of God - in fact, it speaks of the fact that God is love. Moving from eternal death (being unsaved) into eternal life (accepting the work of the Cross in our life) takes us into a place of being "in a life of love". This is because God now lives in us - he is love, therefore, love is resident in us. As his love matures in us, we begin to allow the worries we have held onto so tightly to diminish in their hold over us. The one thing outlined for us in this passage is that we need no longer fear the judgment of God - we stand before God absolutely identical to Christ. Why is that? Because when God looks at Christ, he sees us - and when he sees us, he sees Christ. When we look at Christ, we see God. As long as Christ is the center of our focus, we are in a solid place.

We are told to NOT fear - don't fear man and what he may to do us (Proverbs 29:25); the fear of persecution is not to be part of our lives (Galations 2:12); and the fear of death is just not a valid fear any longer (Hebrews 2:14-15) - to name a few "fear nots" in the scripture. God spends a great deal of time telling us about the things we DON'T need to fear when we are "in him" and he is "in us". As a matter of fact, Proverbs tells us that the nightmares of the wicked come true; what the good people desire, they get. The wicked fear what will overtake them - it eats at them, consuming valuable energy, and taking their attention under control. God's people don't need to have that "gnawing" fear that consumes.

Fear has a purpose - it should drive us to the solution for our fear - God himself. He casts out all fear, because he is perfect love - simply put, perfect love is the antidote to fear. As we place ourselves into the hands of a loving God, we are allowing the safety and shelter of his love to become the influencing force in our life - affecting our thoughts, attitudes, emotions. Psalm 27 tells us that the Lord is our light and our salvation and goes on to ask, "Whom then shall I fear?" If God gives all the light that we need for the situation we face - there is no fear of the course we are traveling. If God is our salvation - the delivering force - there is no fear of the end result. That same passage in Psalms goes on to remind us that the Lord is the stronghold of our life - of whom then shall we be afraid? David went on to say, "Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then will I be confident!" What a tremendous sense of peace he had - all because he was rightly aligned with his Lord. That is the antidote to fear - right alignment. So, the next time fear raises all manner of ugliness in your life - look at your alignment (your focus). Is it on God or the situation? Is it on his love or the perceived threat at hand?

Psalm 34:4 says, "I sought the Lord and he answered me; he delivered me from ALL my fears." The antidote to fear is to seek God - the time to seek is when fear is entering - counteracting it before it gets a foothold. God is our stronghold, an anchor. He is our deliverer. He is also the very thing that washes away all fear (the antidote) - he is perfect love. Step into his love and see what fears he will chase away today. Just trustin!

Okay, enough of this already!

If I had not found joy in your teachings, my suffering would have destroyed me. I will never forget your commands, because through them you gave me new life. (Psalm 119:92-93 ERV)

We probably can all look back at points in our lives when we thought whatever it was we were going through just about "destroyed" us. Our joy was gone, energies depleted, and wherewithal to make any new decisions totally evaded us. In short, we were "suffering" - either by our own doing, or that of another, and it just about "undid" us. Our rescue in those times is often found in the simplest of things, but often the most overlooked when we find ourselves in the midst of tremendous suffering - his Word. It is by his Word all things were created - it is by his Word that all things are sustained - it is also by his Word all things are renewed and made whole again!

David sums it all up for us by reminding us that everything has its limits - even those things that seem to be unending and grossly overpowering in our lives (vs. 96). The one thing that is limitless is the power of his commands - his Word. We can count on this - take it to the bank, so to speak. His Word and the unfathomable power that "backs" that Word don't have any limits - they are all-powerful, all-knowing, always present. While we may not think our present suffering has any limit or end, God knows when and where that will be - and he knows exactly how it will come to pass. Isn't it silly for us to go through our suffering without looking into the one place where we will find such wisdom?

Just a few thoughts for us to take with us today:

- The places of our pain make perfect breeding ground for his Word to nest. What is the purpose of a nest? Isn't it to allow for "multiplication" and "renewal"? The bird makes a nest not out of habit, or because they needed something to occupy their time. The bird makes the nest in anticipation of what will one day come from that nest!

- That which becomes our constant companion has the greatest influence on us in times where doubt, fear, hopelessness, and anxiety want to invade our minds and hearts. If this be his Word, we will soon find there is no room for doubt - for his Word settles our minds and gives security to our heart (emotions). If this be his Word, we will also find fear and anxiety begin to diminish - for his Word brings peace beyond measure. If this be his Word, there will always be a reminder of the tremendous hope we have when we finally realize he is in control and how deeply he cares for those he loves. Just sayin!

Raindrops keep falling on my head

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops

What if Your healing comes through tears

What if a thousand sleepless nights

Are what it takes to know You're near

What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise...

(Chorus: Blessings by Laura Story)

So many of God's greatest blessings come to us in the form of some "disguise" - they aren't realized as blessings until somewhere down the road when we look back and see all God has done to coordinate those steps up to where we are at that moment of "realized blessing". There are times when God's greatest blessings seem a little "counter-intuitive" - they just don't "add up" at first. In time, we see the bigger picture, but along the way the road is littered with hardship, tears, hurts, and trust issues. Could it just be the purpose of every "bigger blessing" coming in that disguised way may just be to really clarify our true place of trust?

O Lord, you are so good, so ready to forgive, so full of unfailing love for all who ask for your help.  (Psalm 86:5 NLT)

Along the way, we get to the place where we might just come face-to-face with our "trust issues". It isn't that we don't trust, but that we really place our trust in some of the weakest and unreliable things. It also may be that the disguised way that blessing comes into our lives reveals we are the ones we have been trusting in all along - doing things our way, intent on somehow figuring stuff out all on our own. Some misinterpret the adage found in a fable as gospel truth: "God helps those who help themselves." Look it up - it isn't in scripture, my friends! In actuality, the fable written by Aesop says the "gods help them that help themselves." That paints quite a different picture, doesn't it?

What God asks of us is to take the steps we "know" to be true - to be right for our lives. In doing what we know to do, we are "helping ourselves" to remain in a place where we can hear from God and recognize his purposes for us in this life. We don't get distracted. We find ourselves not so much "doing to get", but "acting right because it is the right thing to do". Yet, as many times as we "know" what we should do - the things God declares to be right and good in our lives - we find ourselves standing at some crossroad trying to figure out the "other stuff" that isn't all that clear to us about whether it is "right" or "good" for us at that moment. When we find ourselves faced with uncertainty, this is the moment the issue of trust begins to surface - will we lean into God and ask for his wisdom; or will we trust our own ability to "figure it out" and run ahead like wild children on a mission to find our own way?

Often the greatest blessings come when we admit our lack of trust. We find ourselves "unburdened" from having to "do it all ourselves". We come to the place where we are obedient to the things we know God desires of us and then we just trust him with the rest. We don't bring him the fifteen "plans" we have devised that might get us out of the mess we are in. We don't ask him to "sanction" one of those as "best". We simply admit that we have been trying to figure it all out on our own and that we need him to show us what HIS plan is. 

Often the greatest clarity comes when we are at the most "muddled" place in our lives - simply because in our "muddle" we finally admit we need help! While we don't relish the moments of pain and hardship leading up to some of the greatest "breakthroughs" in life and relationship, could it be that God is just bringing a little clarity through those seasons? Could it be that we need to bow a knee and admit we have been trying to do this on our own? Could it be that the pain will reveal our greatest healing? Just askin!

Paying attention to pain

Have you ever stopped to consider the process of healing? It is a process, to say the least, for no healing ever comes instantaneously. In fact, if it does, that is called a miracle! Healing begins the moment there is an injury. There is no need of healing until the injury has occurred, right? The moment you cut yourself, the body sets into motion processes designed to "wall off" the bleeding. Even the pain you feel is intended to get you to pay attention to the cut - to guard it from further "insult" such as dirt. As those cells begin to mend, there is much "debris" which must be removed in order for the cells to knit back together. They never go back together in quite the same way, though. In fact, they leave noticeable signs there has been an injury. Maybe this is to remind us that injury is possible when we do something that same way again, or maybe it is to remind us of the greatness of our Creator in healing what no one else could mend!

Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Oh, give me back my joy again;
you have broken me—now let me rejoice. Don’t keep looking at my sins.  Remove the stain of my guilt. Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me. (Psalm 51:7-10 NLT)

Beth Moore reminds us that it is a "vibrant relationship with Jesus" that keeps us moving toward healing - keeping the process moving along, so to speak. As we wax and wane in our commitment to spend time with him, our spiritual health and those places wounded within us don't heal all that well. In fact, they "fester" a little until we cannot but help to pay attention to the process of healing we have neglected so long. Most of the pain we experience is really designed to get us to pay attention to that area in our life and to allow Jesus to do the work (the process) of healing. Scabs cover a wound, but under that scab there is a consistent work of healing taking place. Try to remove the scab too soon and the healing just has to begin again. It is much easier to allow a scab to form, take whatever time it needs to disconnect, and then reveal the new tissue underneath!

Have you ever noticed that as long as the scab is there, we keep looking at that area? We pay attention to it - our attention is drawn to the "damaged area" - hardly noticing all the healthy areas around it! We think looking at it over and over again will change it! As long as I have been in this world, there is one thing I have observed - the wound doesn't heal any faster by me watching it non-stop! Sure, I pay attention to it, ensuring it gets the "right attention", but I don't focus on it as though it were the only part of me that mattered! Too many times we only focused on the wounds and forget about all the rest of us that is functioning pretty well. God will heal that wounded area when we focus on what he tells us to focus on, paying attention to not interfere with the process of healing, and then let him do the rest. He is the "process worker" doing what needs to be done beneath that "scab".

We might be tempted to rip the scab off too early, but trust me on this one - that just lengthens the healing process even longer. We might be tempted to just ignore the wound, but when we do, it festers and that makes healing harder and leaves bigger scars. We might just want to pay attention to the niggling of pain, take the wound to Jesus, and then allow him to begin the process of repair so desperately needed. Just sayin!

I don't want this pain anymore!

Those who love discipline love knowledge, but fools hate any kind of correction. The Eternal prefers those who do good, but He condemns those who plot evil. Doing what is wrong keeps everyone off balance and insecure, but those who do right will never be uprooted. (Proverbs 12:1-3 VOICE)

Okay, getting totally "real" with you today I'd have to admit enduring discipline is the furthest thing from "fun" and "enjoyable"! In fact, it is downright hard and very humbling. Without it I'd never have grown, nor would I have realized some of the tremendous things I have come to know and appreciate. Paul tells us to count it all joy when we encounter these rough places, because they will produce things like endurance, solid character, and patience. I am not sure why God uses these tough places as times to create such awesome stuff within us, but it may just be that tough skin of pride we have that just cannot be permeated otherwise! Fools hate any kind of correction - they are content to live in their foolishness - not wanting anything to get through their tough exterior and into the protected or secret places of their heart, mind, and spirit. They want to avoid the things which are uncomfortable because comfort is much easier.

If you have ever had something that gave you a lot of pain, you will understand what I am about to say. At about five years of age, my daughter was at the lake with us one day just prior to us moving from northern California back to Arizona. It was a lovely day and not too hot. I slathered both the kids in sunscreen as I always did, but somehow her light skin took in those sun rays and she actually had blisters by the end of the night the size of quarters and fifty cent pieces all over her back, shoulders and chest! It was a rough couple of days while she endured the pain of that burn. She couldn't rest, her every move caused her pain, and all of the resources of her body were focused on managing that insult to her system. That is what happens with pain - resources are tapped like never before and rest is impossible until the pain is relieved.

Pain doesn't have to be physical - it can be emotional, as well. I almost think the harder pain to deal with is that of the wounded or hurt emotions. They just don't heal as quickly as the stubbed toe or the blistered burn. They leave scars just like the physical wounds do, but they are much deeper and usually not as easily recognized as the more "outward" ones. It seems hard to think that someone who is wounded and in pain might have to endure anymore pain, right? You'd think the way "out" of pain was to walk away from the pain. Rarely does this work entirely well, though, for emotional pain has a way of following you in the form of memories that are hard to be free of later on down the road.

Sometimes the greatest pain relief we experience is when we face our pain head-on and then begin to have someone help us diagnose that pain. When I went through my knee replacement, I had hoped to be out of pain within a couple weeks of surgery. I went through about ten months of excruciating pain instead, until I finally told my surgeon we had to do something to figure out why the pain was there. While I didn't relish a return to the operating room, it became quite apparent this was going to be necessary. In rather short order, the reason for my pain became evident as he explored the knee - bone had grown onto the tendon - something that happens in rare cases. It was causing friction each time I bent the knee and that was the cause of all that pain! A small, less than a few millimeters of bone where it had no business being!

Most of the time, the pain we feel emotionally isn't from the really big stuff - it can be from the tiniest of stuff being somewhere it shouldn't be! Memories tucked away, not really realizing we are "filing" them away, per se. Then in the course of time, they begin to "rub" and cause "friction" that begins to escalate into painful stimuli. That pain demands attention and eventually it will be the thing that consumes us. That tiny thing being where it should not be gives us all that grief, causes us unease and an inability to really find rest, and eventually demands more resources to deal with than we might have ever imagined. While we might not like discipline, nor do we relish the thought of having things which cause us pain exposed so they can be dealt with, it is oh so necessary! Just sayin!