Valley dark

As I've been experiencing some physical and emotional pain lately, I have been reflecting on the subject, and studying the world's response to it in trying to make sense of my own.

Most of us regard pain and suffering as if they were the bete noires of our existence, to be eschewed at all costs.

The recent death of Michael Jackson and the current trial investigating the death of Anna Nicole Smith attest to that for both celebrities' overuse of drugs to manage pain led to their deaths.

Certainly pain avoidance is a natural reaction, in-built by nature for the survival of the species and we must not ever ignore pain.

However, the question is how do we deal with it in a constructive manner?

The modern world's reaction is to find an instant panacea: pop a pill and make the pain go away. Or drink yourself into a stupor. If that doesn't work, throw yourself into any activity that will numb the senses.

We all have our own coping mechanisms which can be less than desirable if we get hooked on an emotional/physiological crutch and refuse to move forward into healing, content to rely on a quick fix permanently or constantly running away, to the detriment of our own health and even those around us.

A friend of mine who is currently in pain from gout has a wise and concerned physician who refuses to precribe medication, wanting him instead to alleviate the symptoms of pain by altering his diet first, making drugs the option of last resort.

How many of us have such wise physicians in our midst, and, do we heed their advice?

If we look at Psalm 23, the psalmist says "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me".

The darkness experienced in the valley is part of our earthly journey in life. However, we are not asked to run through the valley nor run away from it especially since we, as Christians, believe that Christ is with us, protecting us from evil (even if it is my own human response that could lead me to sin).

If Christ, who was afraid in the garden of Gethsemane, was sent an angel to strengthen Him, surely God will send us angels in our times of distress and need?

And if He does, do we recognize them and acknowledge their presence, the healers, physicians, guides, mentors, counsellors and concerned friends He places in our lives?

Do we accept the truth of pain, allowing it to envelope us and purify us as we let God lead us to a creative and life-giving response?

Will we allow the love of the Shepherd to administer to us even when all is lost and seems impossible?

Sometimes, it takes awhile to come to our senses as pain does blind us to the obvious. Or we are just patently stubborn in our refusal to see.

I must admit I have been particularly dense and tardy in dealing with my issues despite knowing what I must do.

I find it is a constant battle, a daily surrender of my own predisposition to rationalize my inaction and slothful inertia.

So today I make the commitment to listen to the pain and ask my Father how I can make sense of it and more importantly, how He wants me to respond to it.

And finally, to ask for the strength of angels to act on it.