Trish Waltz, LCSW, Living Well Counseling
We all have pain in our lives: some pain can be debilitating, while other pain is a mere annoyance. Regardless, we can experience joy despite our pain.
“Dear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything” (James 1:2-4, NLT).
During a very difficult time in my life this passage of scripture became my foundation, making sense of the extreme turmoil. My first husband developed brain cancer while my three boys were all quite young. At one point, while walking in the hospital to see my husband, I realized that I became aware of experiencing great joy, while at the same time, experiencing the greatest pain of my existence. How can that be?
I believe that the Lord was very close to me in that broken-hearted experience. When we allow the Lord into our pain, He is the Wonderful Counselor, our Comforter. No person can be closer to you than the Lord. It changes your perspective.
Changing our perspective is everything (Romans 12:1-2). I have followed Dr. Daniel Amen, a renowned psychiatrist and brain health expert, and he is a big endorser of changing your perspective. In his book, Change Your Brain, Change Your Life, he points out that our thoughts, attitudes and beliefs shape your brain health, and consequently, your emotions, behaviors and overall well-being.
- Thoughts change brain function – Automatic Negative Thoughts (ANTs) can harm your brain.
- Killing ANTs – confronting the automatic negative thoughts with truth reduces anxiety and depression, improving your quality of life.
- Perspective and emotional regulation – altering how you perceive events can lead to better emotional control and resilience.
…the list goes on. I encourage you to read this book.
When the Lord is close to you, and you choose to move closer to Him, you will see more clearly His purpose for you; you will see prayers answered, your faith will grow…and your brain will change in a positive, more hopeful manner. Then when this happens you will grow and become stronger and more useful for the Kingdom of God. Having purpose makes suffering have real meaning.