That’s Gotta Hurt
This photo came up on my timeline a few days ago. It merits a repeat, at least in my memory. We were out for a family outing to the Pumpkin Patch in Tulsa. I saw the scarecrow and thought it would be a great photo. What I didn’t see was the big stick holding him up. Of course, my ever-witty daughter who has the eye for details like her daddy did, saw the humor in the stick.
Something hilarious in the middle of a routine day. Staci remarked “Hmm….that’s gotta hurt!” Good news, it was just a straw scarecrow so nothing was really hurting, but what about us? At one time or another, we have all said “It hurts so much.” We really were hurting — physically, emotionally, financially, spiritually or some other way. We can even share our sad or painful story and someone might say, “That’s gotta hurt”.
But what if those “gotta hurt” times are part of God’s Master Plan? I’ve had plenty of those “That’s gotta hurt” times. There’s no part of me that wants challenges, inconveniences, sorrow, or pain. That is NOT the part of my story I want to talk about. But the longer I walk with God, the more I see why His ways are so much better than mine. Picking and choosing what gets to be part of my story would keep me from the ultimate good God has in mind for me.
I know it seems hard to fathom our painful and difficult circumstances being used by God for our good, but I assure you, based on personal experiences, God has proved it to me many times over. I must warn you it might not feel good at first glance. I confess I like St. Paul’s words: “Count it all joy” (James 1:2), until I don’t. Those words are easy to pull out when my worst issue is the drive-thru leaving out something from my order. Argh! But, what about those other things we walk through – the ones that aren’t here today and gone tomorrow? The ones that hurt too long. Or feel devastatingly permanent?
To slap some “we should be joyful about this” on top of the hard things feels cruel. That’s why I’m glad “Count it all joy” doesn’t say “FEEL the joy” but instead, “consider where some glimpses of joy might be even during all the hurt. We can find joy in the middle of the pain if we look for it. We can tend to all that still needs to be healed and at the same time laugh, plan for great things ahead, and declare this is a glorious day. It’s living out whatever life brings us as a gift, even if it looks nothing like we thought it would. Our sorrows and frustrations tenderize our hearts. Our celebrations tend to our heart’s need to get back up and go on. Let’s take a deep breath and push through the pain and celebrate the birth of the “baby”, rather the birth of God working in our lives for the good things He had in mind for us all along. Oh, joy! Joy! Joy!
God is working in our lives. We might as well be ready for the set-ups God has in our future. Set-ups that will inevitably be for our good. Those “that’s gotta hurt” times will be a part of God’s “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11)
So we might as well grin and bear the “That’s gotta hurt” times, because surely “All things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28)