Pain and suffering

Sometimes it doesn't do to think too much about pain and suffering. The adage Into a life a little rain must fall is a truism none of us want to meet. Seriously.

And the painful world and individual events we see can overwhelm us to the point where, until we get our head above water, solutions seem illusive at best and more often impossible.

This isn't a post about whose pain is greater or what constitutes pain. Pain is pain. If someone is in pain, whether it is something we think is painful is practically irrelevant.

If you are going through tough times, be kind to yourself.

The other day while surfing the Net I came to an interesting anonymous comment on a blog. It set me to thinking. I think you could interchange the words pain and suffering. And I'm not sure I'd agree with easily endured, maybe possibly more easily endured. Sometimes ya gotta endure it, easy or not. There isn't any other life choice. But you don't have to like it!

Pain is often easily endured if it has a noble purpose. Suffering is pain that is lacking in purpose. When we care for others, even if it may cause us difficulty, it is our calling, and has purpose.
On the flip side, if we are suffering, we can search for the purpose. What do we need to learn? How can we grow? How can we become stronger through the pain (analogy- weight lifting)? Often suffering can be transformed into healing when the purpose is revealed and aligned to God's light of truth and love. Anonymous

I liked the idea of searching for a purpose in pain, even a noble one, not that we always see a purpose, especially in the moment. That is too simplistic. But in the analogy given, if we are caring for a loved one and it is difficult, there is a transcendent purpose in it, even if we can't see it, or if we have to fight to see it.

When I think of people who have gone through some difficult circumstance, some terrible grief or tragedy, then go on to use that circumstance to help others, I see that a purpose is found, sometimes changing life directions. Out of that difficult circumstance meaning is forged.

It might not take away grief, but it gives an energy to life's endeavors. It is more than taking life's lemons to make lemonade. That hardly defines it. It is wresting it out of the rock.

I was touched by this modern day example:

Fighting to change adoption laws in Korea, Jane Trenka, a Korean adoptee, when asked why she is devoting herself to this cause says:

“For my mother. My mother died but if I don’t try to change things, my suffering has no meaning.” Jane Trenka

Have you found times in your life when your life changed directions or your energies were directed when finding meaning in life's difficulties?

Karin
www.savvythinker.com

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