Pain – that throbbing or burning or stinging or aching that tells you there’s something wrong. Can you imagine life with no pain?

Believe it or not, this is the case for some! People born with CIPA (Congenital Insensitivity to Pain) have a mutation in their genes that leads to a loss of sensory neurons, and therefore the inability to feel pain. 

For someone who has a very low pain tolerance (me), life without pain sounds pretty good. Hangnails, cuts, and bruises wouldn’t affect me. Stomachaches, headaches, and backaches would be nonexistent. Trips to the dentist would be a piece of cake. Surgeries – no problem!

It all sounds great, except for the fact that pain is pretty helpful in keeping our bodies safe and alive. Think about it. What if you couldn’t tell you were taking a sip of scalding hot coffee? What if you didn’t know that when you tripped down the stairs, you fractured a bone?  

Infants who are born with CIPA often have rough childhoods, biting holes in their tongues and unknowingly scratching the surfaces of their eyes. Wounds and internal injuries often go unnoticed and lead to serious complications. The sensation of pain which should alert them that there is a problem does not happen. Pain receptors serve an important purpose — they act as an alarm system warning us that something is wrong and we better get ourselves to a doctor and get some help!    

But…what about emotional pain? What about when our hearts hurt, when we feel anxious or afraid, worried or depressed, frustrated or confused? What do we do when painful feelings alert us that something is wrong deep inside? 

Could it be that God allows suffering in our souls so that we will turn to Him? Could it be that the more intense the pain, the more desperately we cling to Him? And could it be that the more we cling to Him, the more we can feel His divine comfort, know His great strength, and experience His supernatural care for us in ways we never have before?  

God wants us to reach out to Him when we are hurting. He wants to hear our sorrows and carry our burdens. He tells us in Matthew 11:28, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” It is God’s desire that we turn to Him when we are in pain.

When Lexi passed away, I was faced with pain like I had never known, pain that seemed that it would have no end. It was pain so strong that it drove me straight into the arms of God, again and again and again. My pain was not instantly cured. Just as cancer patients don’t find an overnight solution for their disease, but often must endure months and even years of surgeries, procedures, and treatments, my healing took time. God continually gave me comfort in the middle of dark nights, strength for the days I was falling apart, and a perspective of hope as I looked to the future. The Great Healer faithfully provided the treatment that brought peace and healing to my aching heart. The psalmist says it beautifully: “I lift my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” (Psalm 121:1)

And still…how many times do I find myself floundering through problems or pain on my own? Why do I still continue to turn to my own devices when I am hurting? Why do I look to superficial or temporary fixes? Why do I forget that I have access for help from the one who made heaven and earth? Why would I turn anywhere else?

God, let my pain and suffering drive me to you. Help me remember the incredible healing you have provided for me in the past, and to turn to you with every single care and concern that comes my way. Help me to know that you, the Creator of heaven and earth, are the only One able to provide true and lasting healing. Help me not to turn to my own devices, but to find my solace and security in You and Your loving arms.