I Feel Your Pain

I know pain. When I had a quadruple by-pass open surgery, I had one of the most painful injections in my life for the general anaesthesia. But nobody could beat the one I experienced when a five inch syringe penetrated by flesh to pump out a near-bucketful of blood that strayed to my lungs weeks after the heart surgery.

For the past two weeks, I’ve agonized of pain that has left my entire right arm sore as a result of carrying heavy court files at work.  When I went to the doctor I was told that it would heal in time, and simply recommended intake of paracetamol that provides little relief.

When I went to a therapist, she said that I needed to come back one week later for a session. What a long painful week. It reminded of a line from Job: “The night racks my bones, and the pain that gnaws me takes no rest.” (Job 30:17)

I asked for God’s healing power as I attended the Sunday Mass, and the priest answered me with a story about a lady he knew who was referred as a “friend of God” as she spent most of her time helping in the church chores and people in need. She underwent a knee surgery, and everyone prayed for her healing. But she was not cured, and continues to suffer much physical pain.

The woman asked the priest to explain why she was tormented. The clergy responded, “I cannot give you an answer. Go ask God.”  After praying in church, she came back and told the priest: “God responded to my question.” Surprised, the priest asked, “He did. What did He say?” Replied the woman: “As He hung on the cross, with hands nailed to it, He told me, “I know and I feel your pain. I am in such great pain. “”. She added, “Who am I to complain?”

It was in carrying the sins of the world that Jesus freed us from Satan’s spell. It is in doing good work that suffering and pain can be subdued, if not eliminated. “Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.” (1 Peter 4:19)

For one in pain, becoming selfless will allow the Spirit of God to take charge. “Blows that wound cleanse away evil; strokes make clean the innermost parts.” (Proverbs 20:30) But more importantly, be confident of what is to come. “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”  (Romans 8:18)