Everyday we live our lives we are quite often careless in thanking God for the many gifts He has so graciously given us. We could Hegin here making a list perhaps using the example of touch, hot, cold and so on and fill many pages before we are through. There is one gift, however, no one seems to want, nor is it appreciated. That is the gift of "pain."
Dr. Paul Brand has written a book titled "Pain - The Gift Nobody Wants." I would like to recommend it to you. It even comes with a warning: "Life without pain could really hurt you."
Dr. Brand has spent most of his life working with Itprosy patients and others who, due to their particular circumstances can "feel no pain." He tells a storylof a pretty young girl who was born unable to feel pain and how, tragically, she w9uld often hurt herself just to get attention. By the time she was eleven she had to have both legs ampufated because she had little regard for her own care and safety.
More than any other country, in America, we want to "feel no pain." Stores have many choices of pain relievers.
Pain is the gift we don't want but many times by its presence can help us be protected from further harm.
There are times, especially as we begin to wear our bodies down or have injuries we receive pain we feel is unjustified (why I believe that as Christians we are most fortunate when pain itrikes. Sometimes it helps remind us that we are not our own.
God is in control. He has promised to give us no more than we cal; bear.
I believe we too often fail to put pain in its place. True, it ras a loud voice, bul we need to remember that it normally has a cause and a purpose. Even though we often can see no good reason for it.
Sometimes like Paul it helps give us inner strength and focus. Remember 2 Corinthians 12:7 "And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times. at it might depart from me. And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
I often am reminded of brother Odell Young. He always had a smile, would always make his way through the congregation to greet everyone and no matter how he felt, when asked, he would always say - "Just right" May God grant us the strength to be "Just right."