Take Away the Pain

Whatever you want to do ... Do it. 

There are only so many tomorrows.

Last year a friend bought me a gift, a Try Diving experience. I was very excited. At first I was not comfortable but I adapt quickly, I started to explore and discover the shore around the bay. Everyone I knew went away for their Christmas holidays, I was alone and looking for activities to do, I decided to challenge myself and took up the Open Water Course. Every morning before sunrise I woke up and drove down to the beach for some recreational scuba diving. Of course there were course fees involved, plus on-line home study and medical examination. On the first day I bought my dive booties, mask, fins and snorkel. Wetsuits, buoyancy vest, tank and air fills were provided. After four full days of pool, shore and boat dive, I received the SSI Open Water Certified Diver Card. :-)

I started researching early this year and planned to dive in Asia (Sipadan, Philipines etc.) Sadly I wouldn't be able to do this any time soon :-( Over the past few weeks I had not been in my best shape, I was really looking forward to heading down to the beach to do some diving and surfing this summer.

But just this past week, I visited the health centre so frequently that the nurses joked that I should bring my bed into the clinic. At that point, it didn't sound funny but I did enjoy talking to her. I felt less nervous. As I was sitting in the waiting room patiently, I read Paul's Vision and His Thorn.

 ¹ I must go on boasting. Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord. ² I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows. ³ And I know that this man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows— ⁴ was caught up to paradise and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell. ⁵ I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses. ⁶Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say, ⁷ or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. ⁸Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. ⁹ But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. ¹⁰ That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties.  

For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:1-10 NIV)

Prayer: Lord, during times of trial I often ask the question "Why?" While I may not always know the answer, may I draw closer to you and be swept into your arms of compassion and grace. Amen.


Speaking of pain and fitness ... a friendly and sporty friend I once knew back in Tassie recently started True Colours Foundation which aims to help people to overcome physical, mental and emotional challenges after major road traffic accidents. 
Read her blog called     My pain is different to your pain! 
Learn how she loss her memory of the actual trauma (self-protecting mechanism) and why she cracked and when she broke, she finally found the peace and tranquillity of pain-relief medications.

• Pain can cause stress and feelings of immense discomfort but never underestimate pain.
• Some are more sensitive to pain and feel the slightest prick, pinch, cut, etc. 
• Some of us start crumbling when the level of pain start increasing 
• Some appear to be able to stoically sit through 'torture'.
• Talk and laugh together to help distract the patient from feeling the pain
• Focusing on breathing which might help to relax the body and reduce the effects of the pain
• Be patient with those in pain cause we all differ in way we cope with pain, always be sympathetic, do not judge, cause if someone were given a choice, anyone would rather go without medications.