Sometimes Pain Isn't Bad

Case in point:

I recently gave birth to a darling little baby girl. (Perhaps you have noticed the posts slowing down to a trickle?)

I enjoyed the perfect natural labor for which I had been hoping and preparing. My doctor was supportive, the hospital staff respected my wishes. I was thrilled with every aspect.

But let me tell you, BOY WAS IT PAINFUL!

And yet, it was perfect.

Sound like a contradiction?

It’s not, really.

Pain is not a bad thing. It hurts, and it makes us uncomfortable, so we don’t like it. But it isn’t really bad.

In fact, there are many positive aspects to pain:

• Protects us from danger

  Miriam is cooking dinner in the kitchen. She accidentally bumps her hand into a pot of soup that is simmering on the stove. “Ouch!” She feels pain in her fingers and instantly jerks her hand away. The pain has prevented Miriam from incurring a bad burn.

  This is true on an emotional level as well:

  Moishy is playing in the playground. He tries to play with some kids, but they make fun of him and call him names. Moishy is careful not to play with those children again. He finds other (nicer) kids to befriend instead.

• Signals that something is wrong

  Leah is walking down the street one day. The sidewalk is uneven, and she trips and falls. The pain in her leg tells her that something is wrong, and she’d better have it checked out.

• Propels us into action

  Levi loves numbers. He wants to become a CPA (Certified Public Accountant). Unfortunately, Levi is also a little lazy. He doesn’t bother to study too much for the difficult exams.

  When Levi finds out that he has failed his CPA exams, he is devastated. At the same time, he knows exactly why he failed. Instead of stewing in his pain and misery, he decides to implement a rigorous study schedule - so that he will be successful the next time!

And of course …

• Makes space for good to follow

  

  Childbirth is pretty painful, but that is how you get a beautiful newborn baby.

  Oh. You wanted another example? You mean one I didn’t already use in this article? OK.

  Take Pat Flynn, of SmartPassiveIncome.com. He was let go from his architectural position during the economic downturn in 2008. Here’s what he has to say about it:

  It turns out that getting laid off was the best thing that ever happened to me. Without my 9 to 5 job holding me back, I’ve since been able to earn more money and work less (and more flexible) hours – which in the end allows me to be home and spend time with my family.

  You can read more of Pat’s story here.

Bitachon means trusting that God has a plan and a purpose for our pain. It’s not always as obvious as a baby born after painful labor, but it’s always there.

So when you find yourself in a painful situation, just remember that pain isn’t bad. Embrace it - it might be just what you really needed!