The past several nights, I have had more restless sleep than normal. I have been awakened by pain, by crazy dreams, and, at times, by fear.
I am humbled by those I know that live in constant, daily pain and suffer to a much greater degree than I do. My prayers are with them and I do not, in any way, minimize their pain.
However, being awakened by pain is a somewhat normal occurrence for anyone. The pain can be temporary or chronic, physical or emotional, understood or undefined. The greater challenge is when the pain is coupled with fear.
For me, the fear has been that my pain would go from temporary to permanent, that the surgery did not solve the underlying issue, and that I have triggered a new complication in my throat, not to mention the fears regarding the future of the ministry... but I will leave those fears for another day ;)
What I will leave you with today is the challenge I am giving myself. It is nothing I have not known or told myself and others many times in the past. It is more a reminder of what I already know: Every time I awaken in pain or fear, I will immediately give it to God rather than dwell on it. Yes. Simple as that. Simple to say, but challenging to remember in the moment.
May our pain and fear transform into hope and trust in God's hands.