Over the past couple of decades, I have had numerous physical and hurtful issues arise.
I have learned that God is the best pain reliever I can ever ask for…and I first learned that lesson at the same time as how to quickly forgive…. all in one painful incident!
I had difficulties with delivering both my beloved babies, and needed a major repair job after baby #2. This consisted of opening up the channel, reattaching some innards where they needed to be moved, and sealing it all up with numerous stitches.
I can almost sense you wincing as you read the above paragraph. Yep, it was as painful as you are imagining.
But here’s the clincher.
When I had been interviewed pre-surgery by the pharmacy assistant, she asked if I had any allergies to any antibiotics or pain relievers. And I do, morphine and anything related to it. (Nothing like a freaky trip of seeing spiders all over your newborn for 4 hours as you scratch the hives to let you know ‘hey, you are allergic to this!’)
So I woke up post op from one of the most painful surgeries a female can have (according to my lady surgeon) to find I had no orders for pain medication to be filled.
Nothing.
For about 3-4 hours (until my surgeon got out of her next surgery and checked in with me) I had no pain relief given to me by the hospital.
Let me tell you, the waves of pain were riding pretty high at that time.
The only relief I had was crying out to Jesus. Praying with every new wave of pain that He would help me to make it to the ebb on the other side.
When my surgeon came in to check on me, I was apparently a little pale but otherwise appeared okay apart from my fists clenched tightly around the blankets.
When I asked if I could have something for pain, my very active always in motion surgeon stood completely still, and asked me what did I mean.
I let her know way more coolly than I felt that I had not been given any pain medication after waking up from the surgery.
Eyes a-blazing, she grabbed my chart and immediately headed out to the nurses station to write an order. I caught part of the conversation as she angrily informed the duty staff she was headed to pharmacy to give someone a piece of her mind.
I had a pain pill within 2 minutes to help take the edge off.
But God got me through.
The second major time I found God to be the best pain reliever, I was hospitalized for what they think now may have been a gall bladder attack. For 6 days. Not too bad apart from the fact the gal in the bed next to me had an IV battery that alerted it was needing to be changed every ten minutes round the clock. For six days straight.
Not only was I physically unwell, but I was severely sleep deprived and hitting sheer mental & physical exhaustion. The only relief I had was praying, calling out to Jesus. 24/7.He kept me sane, and somehow helped me to rest in the chaos I was temporarily living in that week.
The last time I will share with you when I found God the only pain reliever possible was for an emotional & spiritual pain that happened right after a family trauma.
Someone threw a javelin poisoned by the enemy right at my heart, out of the blue, in the middle of an intense sudden loss.
How it hurt.
I could hardly breathe. I spoke a word of honor in response and immediately removed myself from the situation, leaving my husband to deal with the resulting aftermath.
I collapsed into a sobbing mess of hurt in the corner of that hallway, and with everything within me once again cried out to God. I asked Him to take away the pain, of this wound, but more importantly remind me how much He loved me, right then and there.
(Not even a year prior, I lost my beloved Farmor. My Danish grandmother who I adored….you kinda need to know that for what comes next.)
Not even five minutes passed of me blubbering in the hallway, than a woman who looked strikingly like my grandmother came up to me, loving patted me on the shoulder and said “It will be okay, dear” in a Scandinavian accent.
In that swift encounter, God reinforced He has a great life ahead for me, as loving spoken through a familiar face.
I was able to forgive immediately almost after that encounter, and have not had a jolt of pain about that incident since.
How do I know God is the best pain reliever? I can recall each three of these terrible moments in my life (as well as many more) and not have any pain attached to them at all. Zip.
Do I still have physical pain?
Un huh.
Do I occasionally take something to help with pain?
Yes, but not until I have prayed about it first.
I love you, God— You make me strong. God is bedrock under my feet, the castle in which I live, my rescuing knight.
My God—the high crag where I run for dear life, hiding behind the boulders, safe in the granite hideout.
Psalm 18:1-2 (MSG) are just two of the verses from Psalm 18, one of my go to Psalms I grab when times get tough, and pain strikes.
I find reminding myself as I read them:
•who He is
•what He has done
•where isn’t He?
•when is just around the bend
•how much He loves me
As I press into His Presence, believing He cares about me so much, He is right along side me in my pain, storms and hard seasons. He has been every single time.
I have found prayer, genuinely seeking His Presence, is the best pain reliever there is.
There are no negative side effects,
its free for all, no special training is needed. He is always available, comes to where You are and never leaves us through it all.
Prayer isn’t the spare tire, but rather the steering wheel into His Presence.
God can use our pain to reach us, to comfort us, to heal us and to hold us.
There is no substitute for seeking this kind of pain reliever first!
Note: I know if you have a serious illness, medications are needed. I am simply saying that the inner pain of our heart, emotions, broken dreams and wounds cannot be fixed by pills, alcohol or whatever substitute you may be drawn to. Seek Him first, and follow as He leads. He is more than enough to help you with whatever pain you are holding onto, or going through. xo
KARLA LEES 