Once again Grace comes knocking. We have been given the opportunity to rely on that deeper measure of Christ's all-sufficient, sustaining Grace in our lives.
I don't remember if I have ever written about DH's Pudendal Neuralgia before, so I'll sum it up quick. During the move into our new house four years ago, a latent condition that my husband had was stirred into conscious awareness. Since then it has become a living, breathing member of our family with a life of it's own~or it seems that way, at least. Pudendal Neuralgia, or Pudendal Nerve Entrapment (henceforth referred to as PN, or PNE) is a malady in which the Pudendal Nerve that runs through both sides of the pelvis is restricted or trapped, causing pain and a whole host of other problems. Think of it as Carpal Tunnel in your butt (Did I just say that out loud?). Any task like sitting, walking, bending, lifting or anything that requires you to use that muscle group causes damage to the nerve and subsequent pain. About 2 years ago, after an extremely frustrating time of wrong diagnosis and medical insanity, we found a doctor who not only knew what he was talking about, but is one of the world's foremost authorities on PN. DH went through a series of steroid injections, to no avail, and finally surgery for the PNE, also with negligible results.
Flash forward to this last weekend, which found us making the 400 mile trek up to the Twin Cities for the first in another series of the injections. The hope is that since the doctor is the one who arranged the nerve and surrounding anatomy in it's present position, the steroid and Heparin shots will be more effective this time.
I am reminded often of Paul's "thorn in the flesh", and this certainly qualifies. The physical pain is not my own, true. But how many times can a loving wife say "I'm sorry. I wish I could help you. You just have to trust that God knows what he is doing and will give you the grace to get through this." before it starts to sound like a trite cliche? Before "Just trust God" becomes reminiscent of "Just suck it up, man!"?
And yet, truth is never trite or a cliche. If Christ could suffer the unspeakable agony of the cross for "the joy that was set before him", surely He is able to carry us through the worst that this fallen world has to offer. We are promised as much in 2 Corinthians 4:14-18 "knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.
So we do not lose heart. Though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day.
For this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal."
What lies beyond it, rather than the pain, is the source of joy. Because the pain is temporary, even when it seems interminable, we can focus our attention on the face of the one we will be with for eternity. Again, in Isaiah 65:17 we are promised that in heaven the cares of this world will be obliterated from our minds. Those are the promises that we cling to because without them, we would have no hope. And Hope is a pretty powerful pain killer.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
Great post! I am so sorry that you guys are having to go through this. I am ABSOLUTELY CONFIDENT that God uses all of our experiences! I look forward to hearing what he does with this ... besides the instilling of hope you spoke of. :-)
I know what else I wanted to say -
Doing a study right now with Jennifer Rothschild - "Walking by Faith: Lessons learned in the dark." This week she took us to 1 Peter 4:12-13. "Do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed."
Good stuff, I thought, but I know that passage. No shocking discovery there. Then she said something that made me realize the true point of this passage. It's not just that we will be happy to see Jesus, but rather, that those who suffer the most will be the HAPPIEST to see Jesus! The verses are actually speaking to the CONTRAST between our present sufferings and the joy we will experience when the glory of Christ is revealed! Someone who is only a "little" sick is mildly grateful for medicine that makes them feel better, but someone who has a dire disease has an incredible appreciation, beyond words, for healing. It's all about CONTRAST.
Something to look forward to!
Sharon,
I totally agree. I have often thought of the verse "Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord" (cue Tennessee Ernie Ford music). At first glance you think, "Duh! Of course he did." But after days of thought I have come to the conclusion that Noah would have experienced God's grace even if the flood had not taken place. But because it did and God carried him through it, he had to have been more accutely aware of the grace than if he had lived his whole life in peace. It's the different between common grace and that deeper measure that some people are more privileged to enjoy. But in order to be blessed with the uncommon grace, you must walk an uncommon path.
S
Post a Comment