Pain

Pain.

I see it everywhere I go.

I see it in my life and in the lives of others.

I see it falling down the cheeks of people as they tell me their stories of abuse and heartache.

I hear it in the quavering voices of people who have lost loved ones.

I see it in a million different ways in the lives of friends who come from families broken by divorce.

I see the unbelievable masks we hide behind.

I see it on scarred wrists.

I see it in the eyes of little children who are forced to starve.

I see it in the way we masochistically pursue things we know will destroy us.

I see it in our greed.

I see it in how tightly we can cling to our brokenness.

I see it in pessimism and optimism.

Lately I have heard stories of pain so raw and unfathomable that I wonder if there could possibly be any hope or comfort. Yet I'm learning to truly believe in and see redemption, restoration, and hope. Sharing stories of trial and hurt, in those beautiful, horrifying moments of vulnerability, has brought a deeper sense of community to my life. As Paul Tournier once said, "Nothing makes us so lonely as our secrets." Perhaps it is pain that binds us. I'm learning to hurt with the hurting and not selfishly focus on the things in my life, whether those things are good or bad. I'm learning to pray passionately for comfort and peace for everyone who's hurting.

Sometimes the weight of the evil and suffering in the world threatens to crush me. It threatens to suppress my hope, but I know there is hope. I know there is healing and closure and restoration. And beauty. Breathtaking, awe-inspiring beauty. Beauty that pain alone opens our eyes to and allows us to see. Perhaps not today. Perhaps today we are blind. But someday we will see and feel the substance to the shadow that is our hope.

Much Love,

Marissa