Nobody likes pain.
Or, does anyone like pain? I know
those of you that work out strenuously enjoy the muscle pain and deep tissue
burning sensation that shouts out, “I am on my way to that chiseled physique”. Me, I just try to avoid pain. A month ago I heard a loud “Pop” in my knee
and went to the doctor. Initial examinations indicated that nothing was wrong
but after 3 weeks of that thing I don’t like – pain, I went back to the doctor,
got an MRI and found that my medial meniscus had a tear. Last Thursday I had an operation to repair my
meniscus. The operation started when my
“angel” showed up. I don’t remember his
name. He was very large. He said
something to the effect that he was my “pain angel”. He was my anesthesiologist. He began to describe all that good things he
was going to give me, I didn’t listen, he had me at “you won’t feel anything!”
I had the operation and hopefully I will soon have full use
of my pain free knee. One thing I didn’t
really think through though was following “all” the instructions. When I left the hospital on Thursday morning
I felt great. No pain. I couldn’t feel my knee at all. Thursday afternoon I rested and slept. Thursday evening I had a meeting at church
that I really wanted to be at.
So……..around 5pm I stood up. No pain!
My knee was still numb. I thought
……….I could go the meeting, it won’t last that long, then I can come back and
ice and rest my knee. I neglected to
take into account that earlier in the day I had been injected with a lot of drugs, so
the self I was negotiating with was not very reliable. I went to the meeting.
Sitting in my office now a week later, I am not sure that I
acted prudently. Why? That thing I don’t
like, pain – is back. I am pretty sure
if I had followed the doctor’s orders on Thursday and Friday, I wouldn’t be
having the pain, I am having now.
Our spiritual lives often take this illogical path. We are trying very hard in life to avoid pain.
We have good instruction and guidance but often ignore it when important
decisions need to be made. We wing it,
make decisions on the fly. We just do
what seems best at the time. I am hoping
that the next time pain gets close, my knee will twitch, I will reach down and
rub it and remember the mistake I made.
Hopefully, then I will think, pray, and seek the wisest course of
action. Proverbs 14:12 “there is a way that appears to be right, but in the end
leads to ruin”
