Recently, my family set out on an afternoon walk. Beauty surrounded us; the fall colors set the trees aglow, and the sun shimmered upon the lake as it set. There was much glory to behold that day. The display of the changing season was spectacular. Upon returning home, I was reflecting on all we had seen when my son thoughtfully interjected, “It is hard to take in all the beauty when you are in pain.”
My son has an undiagnosed neuromuscular disease. It presents itself as muscle weakness and fatigue. That simple walk hurt his teenaged body, and while what he said caused my heart to sink, it encapsulated a truth that resonates deeply for many I minister to.
When I walk alongside hurting, wounded, and broken people, I long for them to encounter Jesus and his tender care for them. I want them to live fully, knowing what he has promised them. But for many, it is a slow, long walk to get there, and my son’s words made sense of this in a new way for me. Pain calls our attention to what hurts. Pain is loud. It requires a large portion of our energy just to
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