The Grace of Pain
#205
Friend,
There is a strange grace in pain.
Now, I’m not talking about suffering. Suffering is pain out of control. Suffering is a different beast.
Pain is an indication that something is right. Pain can serve us. If you touch a hot stove, then you need the pain to prevent further harm. That’s the grace of pain.
Most of us are pain-avoiders, pain-suppressors, or pain-deniers.
Pain-avoiders- if potential pain is near, we behave in ways to not be confronted with hurt.
Pain-suppressors- when we experience pain, we immediately seek to numb or lessen the pain. (It’s ok to take Tylenol or Advil. I’m a fan of modern medicine.)
Pain-deniers- we pretend that we are not in pain, because we don’t want to address it.
Our pain is an invitation to be curious. Curious about what is wrong, why it is wrong, and how long it’s been wrong. Pain-curious is the goal. If you can understand why something is happening, then you can respond and adjust.
Earlier this year, my son was having pain in one of his feet while running. His foot was going numb, causing him to stop running. If he were pain-avoidant, he would have quit the team. If he were pain-suppressing, he would have unnecessarily medicated while running. And if he were pain-denying, then he would have opened himself to more pain through a greater likelihood of falling.
When he talked to his coaches, they invited him to start by tying his shoe differently, and the pain stopped. He was pain-curious, and he became pain-free.
And that’s the grace of pain.
Love,
Aaron