MY FRIEND???

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Sometimes we are told things that don’t ring true or at least before we put it away in our storehouse of facts we want to think about it for awhile.

One such thing I was told was that "pain is our friend."

At that time being young all I knew about pain was it should be avoided at all costs. I must admit that pain is a great teacher, unfortunately some lesson have to be taught over and over.

It took many skinned knees to cause me to exercise some caution in running and playing.

Another thing it taught me was to lie. A lie is a device you use when trying to avoid pain of some types.

Since becoming a Christian I have limited its use to a great degree but there are times when I have had to use it to save someone else while conviction was grating on me not to do it. At times I concluded that the price of their friendship is more than I was willing pay and just told the truth.

Over the years I have notice that some find it easier to use their version of repenting for lying than it is to tell the truth.

There are times when pain will let you down. I believe if I had more tooth aches I would have better teeth today. Back when I was raised you only went to the dentist when the pain got so bad that you needed to seek some relief. This was due to the “not-so-painless” dentists and a lack of funds to pay for dental care.

Too often by the time pain shows up the problem was out of hand and it was too late for remedy. As I have aged pain shows up in ways I have not known before and it keeps telling me that something is out of kilter and needs attention.

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I attended a funeral where the minister spoke of death being a friend. The deceased had been in a bad state, suffering and death was a release and preferable to the pain continuing.  

Pain is a two edged sword, at times it does me good but if the time comes when there is no relief then my friend becomes my former friend.

There was a rare man who only would preach for fifteen minutes and then stop. He was able to say more in those few minutes than some say in an hour. I heard one such sermon where he said that some pain will produce a pearl and he gave the story of the oyster’s plight in producing pearls.

So also if we understand that some of life’s struggles are painful but they are able to produce in us a quality of pearl in our character instead of a root of bitterness.

This post is linked to Grace Café. Please visit and view many good words found there at:
http://www.reflectionsofhisgrace.com/2011/11/he-provides/