Thursday, June 25, 2015

Why Would I Choose Pain?

When I am feeling good right now, why would I choose pain?  Why would I choose surgery knowing that will take me from feeling good to really feeling not good for who knows how long?  Why would I willingly choose something that will decrease independence and mobility for an indeterminate amount of time?

That's a question I've been asking myself a lot over the past few weeks and have even been asked by others.  If I feel good, why would I make a choice that will leave me feeling not good?

I think this is a choice we should all be making at times throughout our lives.  Not everything in our lives is 100% pleasant, nor should it be.  We choose to work hard in school knowing the long term results are worth it.  We choose to study instead of partying to enjoy long term rewards.  We choose short term pain of childbirth for the long term joy of parenting a miracle.

If we only ever got exactly what we thought we wanted at that moment, how would we ever grow or be truly successful or joyful?  I will not live a life of entitlement.  I do not deserve to have everything I want handed to me and I will not demand it.  I will not focus only on experiencing  pleasure.  I will not expect the world to cater to my wishes.  Sometimes, there must be short term pain in order to experience long term success.

This whole thought process reminds me of the subjective pain scale at doctor's offices/hospitals. "How is your pain on a scale of 1-10?"  Compared to what?  Compared to the worst pain I've ever experienced?  Compared to childbirth?  Compared to a splinter in my finger?  I guarantee pain scale numbers are different for everyone.  When I was asked that question this week, I found myself comparing it to pain I have experienced in the past and knowing that my son writhing in pain a couple of weeks ago rated his at a 5 or 6.   How can I complain when mine can be managed by pain meds?

Why would I choose pain?  Because there is an invader in my body that if left alone, will cause more pain and destruction in the future.  Because this relatively short term pain, will hopefully allow me to have a long, cancer free life.  So, I choose pain.  I choose to not ignore cancer and hope it will someday go away on its own.  I choose short term pain for hopefully long term health.

The good news is this world on Earth is short term and Eternity will be full of health and minus all these short term problems.

"For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! 18 So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.."
                                           2 Corinthians 4:17-18 (NLT)


Thankful thoughts for today:
Maintaining arm strength
Friends
Time to sleep
Pain medication

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