When we are in pain, it
is easy to feel abandoned and alone. Just when we need God most, where is
God to be found?
Are
you searching for God yet?
Even
while facing painful challenges, we have the opportunity to seek God in both
familiar and surprising new ways. Here are 7 places to find God when you
are in pain.
When you are well, you
may not as readily have the opportunity to experience how much others care for
you as when you are in pain.
In
Compassion Of others
When you are well, you may not as readily have the
opportunity to experience how much others care for you as when you are in pain.
God is reaching out to
you in your pain, and can be found in the compassion of others. You can
experience God in their eyes, their words, their gentle touch.
In Nature
If you are able, spend
time outdoors. A walk in a forest, by a river—or simply onto a patch of
grass nearby can soothe your wounded spirit.
Even
if this isn’t possible, listening to the sounds of nature or watching a video
can remind you that God is not only to be found in the whole of creation, but
in the sounds of a cricket and the lone weed that manages to push up through
the sidewalk crack. In truth, there is no place
In Your Breath
The
Hebrew word for spirit is the same as the word for breath. As you breathe
in, welcome God into your body and soul to provide healing and comfort.
When you breathe out, God will stay with you while you let go of the pain and
loneliness.
When you pray, you are in direct conversation with God. Talk to God
about your pain, about your hopes and about what it is you need most.
In
Prayer
Sometimes,
however, praying can feel like a stretch. You may have the desire to feel
God’s presence, but don’t know where to begin. Take comfort that God is present
in the very impulse of your yearning, and even as you grieve God’s
absence, God is fully present and reaching out to
In Anger
When you are in pain, it
is natural to become angry at God, feeling mad about being abandoned and
alone. You may yell, shout or raise angry fists to heaven.
But
even when you don’t believe God is there for you, to whom are you crying
out? Down deep, you know that God is there for you, listening to
your complaints with love, healing and compassion in the midst of your
anger.
In Medication
Trust that God wants to
heal your pain. Not only is God to be found in the compassionate hands
that attend to you in your woundedness, but in the medication that is
prescribed and administered.
Receive
each pill, shot, dose and infusion as the vehicle of God’s caring presence
giving you exactly what you need, when and where you need it most.
In
the Pain, Itself
God is not the cause or
giver of our troubles, but is the loving presence who can be counted upon to be
with us through whatever the challenges we face.
Trust
that God is with you now, even in the midst of your pain.
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