One time at a medical facility I saw this sign, and took a picture of it because the word “manage” grabbed my attention. Don’t medical facilities (i.e., hospitals, urgent cares, doctor offices) wanna eliminate pain?! They have the tools, experts, medicines and remedies to do so. Yet that’s not what this sign promises. This medical question got me thinking about the foreboding spiritual question. From reading the bible and walking with God, I know He can eliminate pain. He has an eternal arsenal of cures, miracles and remedies we can’t comprehend, much less, perform. But why, like this medical sign, does He sometimes manage our pain? The Bible offered my fallible, finite, (sometimes) failing mind something it could process. For starters, Isaiah 55:8 says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” I’ve learned there are some things God does or doesn’t do—-without
compromising his perfect love—that I can’t understand because I’m not God. And therein lies my choice (because his perfect love can’t force): I can choose or not choose to trust him anyway. Also, in 2 Corinthians 10, Paul said, “Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, ‘My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.’ So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.” For me, I don’t know affirmatively, but maybe God is managing my ‘mental’ pain so people without God will see God. They’ll see a way to keep going with pain and the Great Pain Manager. Today, if you’re hurting, I’m so sorry. My heart hurts for you. I pray you know Him, Jesus, the Great Pain Manager. And you know he will never leave you nor forsake you.