‘Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’

Matthew 11:28-30 (NRSV)

As I write this, the rain is falling.

If you used that clue to try to figure out when I wrote, it would be difficult: it’s rained MOST days in the last week. I don’t know if we’re breaking any records, but since the first of the month this has felt like a very wet July! I was joking with a farmer on Sunday about how happy they must be. Their response surprised me: “Actually, it’s too much. We’re at the limit. We need a break before everything washes away.” With too much rain, growth can be slowed and blossom production can be hurt. 

Too much of a good thing is not such a good thing. 

Also true with pain! A little pain is good: you only have to touch something hot once, and it does a good job of warning you away. A little soreness after a good workout can be confirmation of hard work and progress. But some pain is more insidious, and can grow and overwhelm us. 

PT: Another Privilege of Aging…

I’m thinking about pain in light of my physical therapy appointment today. Yes, once again, my back is flaring and I’m in a professional’s care. My guy is Jason at my favorite rehab center in Franklin, and he helps me understand what I’ve done and why it’s happening (no, not just bad luck or a fault in my stars). My Dad has two jokes about pain that he often repeats. The first is, “Pain is a great reminder that I’m still alive.” The second is “What’s so great about pain? It feels so good when it stops.” 

Like the rain lately, pain is the kind of thing that seems to come in waves. But also like the rain, we often forget to appreciate its absence. How often on a clear day do you look up in the skies and feel grateful that it isn’t raining? Maybe if you’re a golfer, or a runner, you pray that prayer of thanks often. But the rest of us probably don’t. And the same is true of pain: you rarely appreciate freedom from pain the way you mourn feeling pain. 

Gratitude Opportunity Ahead:

I’d like to invite you into a gratitude practice around your pain…and around the lack of it! Once we hit a certain age, pain tends to be more chronic. It reminds us we are alive, sure, but sometimes we’d like a break from all the reminders. As I do my stretches and exercises to heal my back, I remember fondly all those weeks and days I didn’t have to do them. I should have appreciate that time more as it was happening! 

Jesus waits to help us bear our burdens. But we have to have the sense to bring them to God. Sometimes, when the storms of life are raging, we forget to bring our pain to the one who fell asleep in the back of the boat. God can help us bear storms that we couldn’t face on our own.

If it helps in your healing process, remember to stop and to give thanks on those days when you’re feeling little or no pain. You might appreciate your pain-free days more. And when the rains come, and they really pour (or when the pains come, and they really roar) you will have a deeper store of patience to face them all.