"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."
--Isaiah 41:10
This past week I was reminded pain is a part of life and, praise God, Christians have a helpmate to get us through.
A couple of months ago, I cracked a tooth. I didn't think too much about it. It hurt but I toughed it out. Until it became infected. Then I cried like a baby.
The dentist put me on a round of antibiotics to clear up the infection. But the crack got worse. Breathing made the tooth hurt. After the infection cleared, I went back to the dentist to get it the tooth fixed. Unfortunately, the crack was all the way through and past the root. So it had to come out.
"This won't take long and then we can talk about options," he said.
That's the same thing the dentist told me 15 years ago when he took out my wisdom teeth. When I woke up from the procedure, the first thing the dentist said was, "Troy. I'm sorry."
Apparently my teeth like to grow where they are not supposed to grow. For this tooth, it grew into my sinus cavity. (Which, by the way, has a whole bunch of nerves that cause new waves of pain.)
After two hours of pulling this tooth, the dentist finally got it and his first words were, "Troy. I'm sorry."
So here I sit, puffed up face. Bruised up gums and waves of pain that I'm thankful for because they're not near as bad as before. And I keep thinking to myself, "Why can't life be easy?"
Why can't we all have perfect teeth with no pain? Why can't we all have healthy lives with no sickness? Why can't we all have plenty of money with no worries? Why can't we all have plenty of friends with no loneliness? Why does everything have to be hard? Why can't for once something just be easy? Why, oh why?
I think God gets asked that question a lot. "Why God did this have to happen?" "Why God can't they see my point of view?" "Why God didn't I get that raise?
We make God into a God of "whys." Because of life's problems we often forget that God has never been a God of "whys."
Instead, God is a God of "withs."
God knows we will suffer pain. Jesus did on the cross. God is with us during our hurts. God knows we will be alone. Jesus was alone in the garden. But God is our companion. God knows we will be made fun of. Jesus was in the court of the Sanhedrin. But God lifts us up.
Over and over again God tells us that life will be full of hurt and pain and shame. But over and over again God reassures us that God will always be with us.
Joshua 1:9. Deuteronomy 31:6; Isaiah 41:10; Matthew 28:20; Hebrews 13:5; John 14:16. Verse after verse after verse tells us the same story. God is with us.
In the midst of your pain remember the verse we all learned as children. Psalm 23:4 -- Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
God is with you today.
Let us pray.
Our gracious God. We ask this day that you will be our Comforter, our Helpmate and our Strength. We know that life is sometimes too overwhelming. But in the midst of our struggles, let us be reminded again that you are always with us. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
The Blessings of Our Lord Jesus Christ Be With You!
PASTOR TROY CONRAD IS MINISTER OF THE FARMINGTON UNITED METHODIST CHURCH.
Religion on 09/30/2015