There are a lot of people in my hometown hurting right now. We lost another bright star this week, thirteen year old Sophie Donaldson. Our little community has had a hard couple of years. We have lost too many. Wives have lost husbands. Parents have lost children. We have all lost friends, or our next-door neighbor, or a family member. We would all probably want to say that we lost them all too soon. But, saying that would take away the fact that God has perfect timing and a perfect plan, no matter how hard it is for us to understand. No matter how much it hurts. No matter the pain.
A couple years ago, on a previous blog of mine, I wrote what I am sharing with you today when I was going through a rough spot in my life. It was a simple reminder out of simple situation that God reminded me that He is there. That He loves us through all our pain. Even when we don't understand.
Present Pain
I walk into the Pediatrician's office, child in tow.
The dreaded shots.
After a few minutes of waiting, her name is called. I lead her back to the examination room like a lamb to the slaughter. She has no idea what is coming next, blissfully unaware of any impending pain.
The nurse comes in and instructs me to lay my child on the exam table and to hold her arms still. The nurse then holds down her legs.
The look on my child's face, the pleading in her eyes brings tears to mine.
A wail of pain tears from her throat as the first shot pierces her upper thigh. She looks at me again with confusion on her face as if to say, "Mama, how could you let her do this to me?"
In a few brief seconds, all the shots have been administered. I pick up my beautiful daughter to console her, and I wipe the tears from her eyes. Then, I wipe the tears from mine.
Her pain causes me pain.
But, I put her through the pain, allow the temporary sting because as her mother, I want what is best for her. If immediate, temporary pain can prevent tremendous devastation in the future, then loving her means allowing that immediate pain.
Then I think of my Heavenly Father, how He must feel when His children experience pain and heartache. How it hurts Him when we look at Him with pleading eyes and masks of confusion on our faces.
"God, how can You let this happen to me? Why do I have to go through this pain?"
He knows that soon enough, the pain will pass and will have strengthened us, stretched us, grown us in ways we cannot comprehend.
Then He picks us up to console us, His beloved children. He wipes the tears from our eyes.
Then He wipes the tears from His.
The dreaded shots.
After a few minutes of waiting, her name is called. I lead her back to the examination room like a lamb to the slaughter. She has no idea what is coming next, blissfully unaware of any impending pain.
The nurse comes in and instructs me to lay my child on the exam table and to hold her arms still. The nurse then holds down her legs.
The look on my child's face, the pleading in her eyes brings tears to mine.
A wail of pain tears from her throat as the first shot pierces her upper thigh. She looks at me again with confusion on her face as if to say, "Mama, how could you let her do this to me?"
In a few brief seconds, all the shots have been administered. I pick up my beautiful daughter to console her, and I wipe the tears from her eyes. Then, I wipe the tears from mine.
Her pain causes me pain.
But, I put her through the pain, allow the temporary sting because as her mother, I want what is best for her. If immediate, temporary pain can prevent tremendous devastation in the future, then loving her means allowing that immediate pain.
Then I think of my Heavenly Father, how He must feel when His children experience pain and heartache. How it hurts Him when we look at Him with pleading eyes and masks of confusion on our faces.
"God, how can You let this happen to me? Why do I have to go through this pain?"
He knows that soon enough, the pain will pass and will have strengthened us, stretched us, grown us in ways we cannot comprehend.
Then He picks us up to console us, His beloved children. He wipes the tears from our eyes.
Then He wipes the tears from His.
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