Mysterious Pain

Mothers Day ended with intense pain in my stomach and kidneys that lasted through the night. I asked my husband to take me to the Emergency Room for the pain at 6:00 a.m. I underwent blood and urine tests and a CT scan. During my seven hour stay, the doctors gave me two doses of morphine for my pain. In the end they found no reason for the pain or problems and sent me home. I began to wonder if this was all in my head or if I had made a big thing out of a small thing. I know the pain was real and from the looks of my pasty green reflection I was ill, but there was no answer. I went home and went to bed.

This morning I reflected on the times in my life when I’ve had pain inside without being able to give it a name or to cure it. Like yesterday, the unexplained pain affected the trust I had in myself and set me on a path of doubt. I believe Satan did his best to get me to doubt myself and tried and affect my belief in God. When I look to others for answers and there are none I start asking why and I have doubts about myself or what’s going on.

Jesus said it best.

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart  and lean not on your own understanding;   in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5, 6 NIV

I have come to the conclusion I was not meant to understand my painful experience. God knows and sees everything and sometimes He tells us or lets others tell us.  Sometimes it remains a mystery. I will praise Him and thank Him in all situations and circumstances, and I will continue to inspire and encourage others. I will do my best to take care of myself and others and let God do the rest. 

What do you do with your unexplainable experiences?

Oh the Winds of Life

The winds of life swirl to and fro inside and outside wherever you go. You can’t run and you can’t hide. How can you face them and live to thrive?

I stepped out my front door into a beautiful breezy, partly cloudy, sixty-degree day with my trusty friend Molly who lives to smell the grass, bushes, and trees on our walks.  Half a mile into our walk a mighty puff of wind hit me from the side, making it difficult to keep walking in a straight line.

“Molly, maybe this wasn’t a good idea and we should turn back,” I said, stopping to ponder my choices. “If we quit and turn around, you won’t get your exercise watching me on the treadmill and I won’t get the fresh air. Molly, we’re going to persevere because it’s only wind.”

We endured the side winds until we turned the corner. Suddenly we felt the thrust of the wind at our backs, challenging us to stay in control and not rush ahead of our feet. We persevered and kept going. We continued along a curved path to meet a gale wind head on, taking our breath away.

“Come on, Molly, we can finish,” I said, reaching down patting her head. “Let’s lean into the wind and thrust our arms and legs forward until we make it around the next corner.” We persevered and kept going to reach our last corner two blocks from home.

It would have been easy to turn around at the half mile and let the wind push us back home. Instead, I decided and committed to start and finish our journey, no matter where the wind came from or where it tried to make us go, and we made it home. 

Today’s walk was intense, leaving me weary but triumphant like many winds of trial in my life. Some come from the outside and we are aware of the conditions before we step into them; some come out of nowhere and leave us little if any control. For me, the harder winds often come from deep inside, winds of fear, sadness, uncertainty, and self doubt.

We will all have winds and be tempted to take the easy way out or to avoid them. When you decide or you are forced to walk through the winds of your life, you will find times of stillness, peace, strength, and courage in the midst of the storm, and joy on the other side. They can help sand off the rough parts of our character and build our faith and endurance, transforming us into mature Christians with more of Christ’s character so we can stay our course, just like He says in Ephesians 4:14, 15.

 ¹⁴ “Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. ¹⁵ Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the head, that is, Christ.”

Be strong and persevere no matter how you feel. Don’t allow your winds of marriage, parenting, self value, doubt, fear or any other force of the destroyer have a foothold in your mind, heart, or spirit. End strong with a song.

There is a song by Casting Crowns, “Praise you in the storm,” I have linked to this blog. Please click on the video link and be inspired.

Lyrics to “Praise you in the Storm” (words by Mark Hall)                                                      

I remember when I stumbled in the wind

You heard my cry you raised me up again

My strength is almost gone how can I carry on 

If I can’t find you

As the thunder rolls

I barely hear you whisper through the rain

“I’m with you”

And as your mercy falls

I raise my hands and praise

The God who gives and takes away

Chorus

And I will praise you in the storm

And I will lift my hands

That you are who you are

No matter where I am

And every tear I’ve cried

You hold in your hand

You never left my side

And though my heart is torn

I’ll praise you in the storm

What winds or storms of life have you endured?       Praise you in the Storm Video