Most of us aren't big fans of
pain, are we? Even when it is "good" pain, sometimes we shrink back from
it because it is either the unknown, or all too familiar and we just
don't want to go there. But one thing I've learned is that, no matter
what "kind" of pain we are in - emotionally, spiritually, mentally,
physically, relationally - sometimes things get better if we LEAN INTO
it instead of trying to avoid it.
We
all have things we fear. And fears in a way are a type of pain. If we
choose to face our fears with courage, wisdom, and a renewed mind that
knows deep down we will not REALLY be hurt by what we are afraid of, we
are leaning into the pain, learning from it, growing, and gaining
confidence all at once. For EACH time we overcome the urge to run or
hide from fears, it becomes easier not to do it. Pretty soon, it will
become second nature to be courageous and walk toward what w were once
so afraid of. We have leaned in, and we have WON that battle... for each
and every fear faced.
Does
this mean we will never be afraid again, even of what we once feared?
Not necessarily, but it will put things in perspective; it will shift
our paradigms and cause us to continue growing.
Another
example of leaning into the pain is when it is time to say goodbye to a
loved on, for whatever reason. Perhaps we know the reason, but perhaps
we don't. Perhaps we were blindsided by the loss, and we have decided to
act like the person wasn't ever rely there, or didn't really care.
Personally, I believe that once we have TRULY cared about someone, we
always will. We may not always be happy with them, or in their lives; we
may not always like their actions, or their attitudes. But once we have
chosen to care, we will ALWAYS care, and so whether loss has come from
death, divorce, losing touch over time, or other reason, there is a
grieving that must occur. And that grieving is a leaning into the pain.
Does
that mean the loss will always hurt? No. But it also doesn't guarantee
it will stop hurting once we have finished grieving, either. Life and
love are intertwined and therefore each relationship we have experienced
changes us in ways we might not even truly comprehend until much later,
if ever.
What about those who are runners? They, too, lean into the pain.
As long as they are not physically HURT, the pain is a good thing to
the degree that they keep their breathing and pace adjusted.
Where
are you being challenged to lean INTO the pain? Where are you sensing
God tell you it's time to STRETCH, to GROW, to LEAN IN and courageously
take the next step you've been called into? Is it a big step, where
things can be broken down into tiny ones, or is it something small and
tangible; within your reach, if only you LEANED IN for it?
It takes courage and sometimes it takes some extra effort to lean IN instead of OUT...
but in time, leaning IN to the pain, taking the next step, you will
arrive at your appointed destination. Trust God, and trust the journey.
He has GOD-SIZED DREAMS in store for you to fulfill, if you just choose
to continue to LEAN IN, despite whatever the circumstances sound, look,
or feel like; no matter the opinion of others, or the manuals you've
read that say their way is the only one.. If you trust GOD to help you
LEAN IN with courage... soon you realize the sheer joy that comes from
the run of your life, and that, in spite - or perhaps because - of your pain, you are more fulfilled because you know you ran with COURAGE.
