Need a Vacation from your Pain?
Monday, May 7, 2012 by Unknown
Ahhh...a vacation. Boy did I need one last year. I had been dealing with
doctors and repeat complications of my condition, Trigeminal Neuralgia. No matter what I seemed to
do, my pain was increasing. To make matters worse, I was starting to have
memory and concentration problems (probably from my medications). I would get
so frustrated at myself. I would have to leave multiple notes around the house
to remind myself of simple tasks I needed to do, like return a call, be
somewhere at a specific time, or take my medication. I did have a bit of
respite as my family, along with some friends of ours, was going to Kauai for a
week!
A break, a vacation…if
only from my pain! We can take a vacation, and go 2,000 miles away, and yet our
pain always seems to follow us! It was a tough vacation. I know, those words don’t
seem to go together, do they. Yet, I was dealing with memory and concentration
issues, which are much worse in an unfamiliar environment. My pain was
worsening, and my daughter was misbehaving. During that week, I would wake
early and go out onto our patio and read God’s Word. Psalm 139:7-10 was there,
speaking directly to my heart: “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee
from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed
in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle
on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand
will hold me fast.” I reflected on verse 9, which says, “If I settle
on the far side of the sea,” and that was exactly what I was doing. I was
trying to run from my pain and get as far away from it as possible. But it
never left me, and neither did God! His hand was guiding me. His promise was
sure. I can take comfort that God is right there to pick up, my pain and carry it for me because His burden is light, and His yoke is easy
(Matthew 11:30).
He is there, always... No matter if we get a vacation in this lifetime or not we have the blessed assurance that one day we will feel no pain and be with our Savior forever. Amen!
