…of Purpose in Pain…

About a week ago, while skimming through Facebook, I was delighted to have stumbled across a video of a song. On the split screen to the left side was a man sitting by a pool with a trumpet on one side, a ukulele in his lap, and some kind of small round rattle-type thing shaking in his hand. On the right split screen there was a happy looking little boy, looking to be about 5 years old, in what appeared to be a classroom in Africa.

At the start of the video the boy begins to sing, with him soon going into the chorus. I hope that I am quoting this correctly… ‘Lord I thank you for sunshine, thank you for rain. Thank you for joy, thank you for pain. It’s a beautiful day ay ay ay ay. It’s a beautiul day ay.’ And then he sings the chorus again. There are other words of course, and overall the song is very beautiful and quite catchy. It made me smile a lot.. I just couldn’t help myself. I really would highly recommend that you view it some time. And in case you might want to look it up, it is the version from The Kiffness x Rushawn.

Now this song has stuck with me, off and on, for the last week. Upon further reflection on the words of the song, I found myself catching on to a small part of it. “thank you for pain.” Did that little boy really just say that? So I went back to the video and listened again. Yes, yes he sure did.

Why on earth would anyone be thankful for pain? Pain, by it’s very nature brings hurt. Often a very deep and heart-wrenching hurt. The kind of hurt that just sucks you in and leaves you feeling in a sense of near drowning. The kind we do our best to stay away from. We shy away from it.

What good can there possibly be in this pain? What reason could we have for being thankful for it, at all?

So then in comes the self-reflection, something I am not the biggest fan of. I am definitely thankful for both the actual sun and rain. These make things grow, and are great for health – for people, animals and plants alike. And I am always thankful for joy, in the precious few moments that true joy comes in. I try to soak as much of it in as possible, while I am able to. And I am even more thankful when I can be a part of imparting any bit of joy to others. It just makes me happy.

But pain? Can I be thankful for pain? Have I ever really been thankful for pain? What does that even look like?

So then even deeper reflection on the matter.. As with every single person on the planet there have been plenty of moments filled with pain. It might be a physical pain, indicating an issue that needs attention. I guess I can be thankful for the reminder that brings, and it’s part in getting on the road to healed.

It might be an emotional pain. These might come about in the form of a change or a loss. Loss of a job or position, or even starting a new position. A change like a move – unexpected or fully planned for. Or the hardest for me – the loss of a loved one or a friend.

At the time of these things I must admit that I do not like that pain. I am not thankful for that pain at all. But can there still be purpose in that pain? I even tried this last week. I have looked for times this week where I might be thankful in moments of pain. Not gonna lie, I kinda suck at it right now.. I do hope to get better, though.

As I think back further to instances of painful times and moments I find that the answer is yes. That there can be purpose in those painful moments. And that, strangely enough, joy can also come from those, and in ways that we might not expect.

The loss of a job, while in that moment not wanted, may well have led me into a far better job, resulting in much more fulfilling work and a far more healthy work environment.

The moves… while I was comfortable in where I was and what I knew and I have a difficult time jumping into something new, I must admit to being in a far better place, with much opportunity to do things I was unable to do or have before. I love my dedicated painting room in my home. And I am super excited about being able to cut trails and maybe plant a garden this Spring. Okay, so in full truth, I might not be all that excited about the work that will have to go into those things, but I am really looking forward to being able to utilize them both once the hard work is put in.

But the hardest pains of all are the losses of my loved ones and losses of friends. With friends it has been more of a loss of the deeper relationships usually due to changes in life situations or a move. With those I can find joy in memories of great conversations and great times had, and I can find purpose in any life lessons they may have brought to my life. Plus with social media these days I still get wonderful glimpses into their lives, as they are able to peek into mine.

The losses of family hit harder still. With extended family it still hurts, and I grieve with other friends and family, but I will also have some great memories to last my lifetime.

With close family the grief cuts more deeply, leaving distinct and noticeable scarring. This grief works it’s way into your heart and your soul, never fully leaving you. The lessons from these relationships stick harder and way longer. And the best of the memories, both the joys and the pains, remain and come to the fore when you need them the most. These comfort in moments when the grief hits again, and it will.

And for some, like me, this hardest of losses and deepest of pains, can also bring purpose. This loss, though never wanted, might bring about something in or from you that could make a very real difference in the life of another. For me, being able to have a small part in making that difference for someone else brings a huge sense of purpose. If even in pain I could give back to another any small sense of peace or of hope… that is something I am beyond thankful for.

So I guess in some way the answer to my earlier question is that yes, there is reason to be thankful for pain. And for me it is such a worthwhile reason to be thankful, indeed.