My Painful Introspection (rr)

I blogged this 'painful post' about a year ago, but I am impressed it is a relevant topic for today. There is pain in our own bodies, our minds, and our souls. Pain is found inside our own families, our friends, and everywhere else if you turn on the news and see all the angry hateful hurting people of our country and this world wanting relief from pain. 

PAIN IS EVERYWHERE.. and our God is the only answer.
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My Painful Introspection.. by Jeff Larson 

1.  Pain.. it hurts,
2.  I don't like hurting,
3.  I bruise like a peach, and
4.  If it is said most of the important lessons learned in life are through our failures and our pain.. then I would be OK with skipping a few.

For those of you that know me, aches and pains have been my lifelong complaint.  I have migraines, a bad back, and as get older arthritis is my constant companion.

Of course PAIN IS a relative experience, as I know the headaches, and bad back I suffer with are trivial by comparison to what others suffer with.  None the less these are MY pains and THEY DO HURT... and this is MY blog. :)

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But truly, many of the important lessons I have experienced in life have involved pain. It may be dealing with physical pain, being a bear of very little brain (like Winnie the Pooh), or lessons found the other side of (painful) blunders, stumbles, and/or bad choices.

​Even deeper yet are the lessons may be found in the death of a close friend or family member.

I believe the problem of PAIN IS also the source of the age old question.. If there is a God why does he allow bad things to happen to good people.  This is a valid question, but for me I see a 'dangerous beauty' in this broken world. In this land of dangerous beauty God the Creator allows his creation (you & me) the opportunity to persevere and succeed despite our brokenness.

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And.. we are allowed to choose right from wrong in big & small ways, and even good from evil.   There is great danger in choosing poorly, and if we do not persevere.. BUT there is great beauty in prayerfully choosing well, supporting each other, to persevere, and trust God when bad things happen to good people... when it HURTS!

To believe this is NOT.. 'A Crutch for Weak Minded People' as former Pro Wrestler / former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura liked to blurt, but instead Rock Solid Truth for Godly men and women.

I believe Faith, Family, and Friends (in that order) is how God intends to comfort and heal this world of hurts. I seek God as my compass and my only worship, and I thank God for the blessing of family and friends where we can love and support each other as God intends.

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May God bless and provide for each of you this day with love and support when you are hurting physically, emotionally, and/or spiritually.  Pain can be very discouraging, but may we as believers (His Church) be the love and support for others in this broken/hurting world.

Jeff (ibuprofen infused) Larson

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