Pain Free is NOT Intuitive, Part I

What exactly does that even mean?  No one has to tell you that you’re in pain.  You know it.  In fact, you’re the only one who does.  It’s the reason that makes the treating of pain so difficult.  It’s all subjective.  The problem really comes in when your intuition tries to tell you how to deal with the pain.

How is that a problem?  Because when it comes to our fight or flight response, neither is effective past the initial, “This burns, MOVE!” issue.  Once you are in anything longer than initial pain, your body doesn’t know how to cope.  Your intuition says to “Stop!”, but other than that, it’s pretty quiet.

Why is that?  By God’s design, pain is a physical response to some problem as perceived by our nerves or other senses.  A burn is felt through our sense of touch; it rides on the nervous system.  Now, think of the police use of a “flash-bang” grenade.  The brightness and loudness will stun a person, oftentimes causing pain in the ears and temporary blindness.  That type of pain comes through your eyes and ears, not just touch.  Even sadness, brought to a high level can produce a pain response.  The level of that sensation is different for everyone, all due to a myriad of variables, but still encompasses your whole being.  How then, do you know how much pain someone is in? We don’t.  Pain may not be able to be measured directly, but a pain felt acutely enough can cause measurable physical signs.  Higher heart rates, increase in blood pressure, either a decrease in breathing, or increased; that one depends on other variables, bit often it’s the former.  However you look at it, that’s the basics of feeling pain.

So here’s the big question:  Who do you blame for your pain?  Do you blame a person like a physician with poor skills, a bad driver, an attacker?  Was your pain caused by some environmental problem?  Did you do this to yourself?  Or, do you blame God?  He is, of course, a sovereign Ruler, do you blame Him?  Do you know that pain, and its companion suffering, are the main reasons for some people refusing to believe in an All Knowing, All Loving God.  “If I were god, I would never let people have pain or suffer”.  We’ll look at that next time.

Climbing Out of a Hot Summer

You've been gone a while.  I've been to summer school this past season, and I didn't even know I had failed a course!  As I worked hard to get on my feet after the surgery in March, once again my plans and those of the Lord were not exactly in sync.  

So, you stopped being Christian?  Not ever, not at all.  That said, I seem to need a reminder that my plans and ways are not the Lord's.  I'm not sure why I can't remember that particular lesson, but He has methods of reminding me.  This time, it has been the heat and humidity we've experienced in the Southern USA this summer.  For those of us who wear their medicine, via a patch, heat is a terrible enemy.  Open pores, sweating, higher core temperature, and even a higher heart rate are the worst, and this summer combined them into the perfect storm to sap the medicine out before it's time.  

Then, this weather is all about you?  Narcissist much?  That does sound a bit much, but not exactly what I mean.  My point is that when I began to heal and actually felt better than I had in months, years actually, I began to rely on myself and focused what I wanted.  That old self-reliance and pride took over.  Then the heat went up and I couldn't take my walks, or even exercise without having a problem with my meds; I became angry.  Look, I had plans now, I was going to get working again, maybe even back into the martial arts.  Right.  After everything the Lord did for me, how could I forget so easily?   Instead, I should have been thankful for the blessings the Lord had given me.  I just need to continue doing my part, leaving the rest up to the Father who has brought me this far.  So as my kids return to school, I hopefully return to sanity.  Lesson:  Do what I can, my Father in heaven will take care of the rest.