monday muse: purpose in the pain

Hi Guys!

I’m so grateful to Summer for the opportunity to share a bit of my story with all of you today. My name is Stacy and I live in Ohio (it’s simply beautiful here this time of year…if you like sub-freezing temperatures, little sunlight and snow covered roads!).

I love Jesus, my family and friends, traveling, the ocean, writing and sleeping in. When I’m not searching the Internet for cheap flights to somewhere warm, I can be found blogging at Finding Purpose in the Pain. I blog about living with chronic pain from a Christian perspective, my adventures as a nanny, frugal living, and helping the least of these.

Here is a little of my story.

I was 23 years old when I got the diagnosis I had been waiting years for- fibromyalgia-a chronic nerve pain condition. As my doctor rattled off a list of things I shouldn’t do-work full time, sit or stand too long and live somewhere cold in winter (did I mention I live in Ohio?!)- I felt my life slipping away. I had just graduated with my Master’s in Journalism and Communications and had all these plans for my life to be a successful, high-powered public relations executive. As the weeks and months went on and I realized
much of what the doctor told me was true, I began this multi-year journey of learning how to lay down MY plans and instead surrender to God’s plans for my life.

And it hasn’t been easy.

I won’t sugar coat it. Yes so much good has come from this pain but at the same time I still pray with everything in me that God will take this pain away from me permanently. Through this journey I’ve asked God to give purpose to this pain and graciously He’s taught me many lessons such as:

My Life is Not My Own- 

I’ve had to accept that the Lord has allowed this pain for a reason. I might not like it or want it myself but fighting it or being angry with God isn’t going to change the situation. If I want God’s will for my life (and I do!) that means accepting what He allows and asking Him to teach me through my struggles. The whole course of my life has been changed by fibromyalgia and not just in a negative way. There are friendships, trips and career opportunities I never would have had if my life had taken the path I planned.

Dependency on Christ- 

Most people go through their daily lives without much prayer or need for God. I need Him to get out of bed everyday, get through a work day, and provide for myself financially since I can’t work full-time. And the cool thing is I’ve seen Him provide in amazing ways. My day is one constant prayer to God.

I’m Not Perfect-

Oh yes I know what you’re thinking, it took 18 years of daily, debilitating pain to realize you’re not perfect…well no. But I promise you 18 years of pain will give you plenty of daily reminders of your
imperfection. When I have a bad pain day I cry, I complain, I wonder why God wants me to suffer, and I sulk with a bowl of ice cream. And while I blog about lessons God teaches me through pain, it’s not because I’ve figured out those lessons, it’s because I need to write them down to remember that any good at all has come from this pain. In short, I’m human. And having this pain just makes it all too clear
how much I need Him.

Empathy for the Suffering of Others- 

It’s very humbling to have daily pain, be unable to do everything I want to do and have to learn to live on a part-time work income.

We live in a culture that looks down on weak people. In my weakness not only have I seen the power of God at work in me (2 Corinthians 12:7-10) but I’ve learned not to judge other people and instead to have compassion for the challenging circumstances people find themselves in. This empathy has given me a true urgency to pray for and encourage people who are hurting.

So what about you? 

Are you in the midst of a life-changing situation right now? Is God asking you to lay down your plans and pick up His? I won’t say it’s easy (Oh how I’ve battled with God!) but I will encourage you that just because life changes, even drastically, doesn’t mean that it’s over. When you surrender to it, the life and plans God has for your life will exceed anything you can hope for or imagine!

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us”
Ephesians 3:20

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