When in pain, it’s hard to imagine a life without. It becomes who we are…

“I’m falling apart.”

“I’m a wreck.”

“I’m hopeless.”

…or we own it.

“My fibromyalgia”

“My cellulite”

“My weak hip”

“My divorce”

It defines us. It consumes us. We identify with it. Then we can’t imagine ever being free from it.

So many times, I have been asked, “Will I ever get better?” So many times, I’ve asked myself the same question…

My answer is, “Yes.” Emphatically, yes. I’ve seen it happen. I’ve felt breaks in my own pain, and in that moment, I KNEW that it wasn’t permanent. Pain is intrusive. It FEELS endless. Relief takes work. And Time. And Faith. But, the freedom is worth the struggle. Sometimes its easier to accept it and stay in pain, but it’s also a lot more costly than putting in the time to find a way back to a place of health and wholeness.

Whether you are facing a broken body, a broken heart or a broken mind, the principle remains true.

In my practice, I have noticed that if I can touch the source of someone’s pain, I immediately gain their trust. They relax into my hands and hope, for reversing out of the pain, comes. As they gain faith in the process, and subscribe to the protocol of treatment, they go longer and longer without ownership of their condition. My favorite day is when they walk in and say “I’m not hurting today! I just wanted to come and enjoy it here in this place.” They are now believers! They have felt freedom from their condition.

Pain is often chronic. Sometimes it returns. Defeat and despair accompany it. The fear of permanence returns and I have to remind them of their pain-free days and how they can get there again.

I’m currently reminding myself…Every day, every hour, every minute. This, too, will pass. It will only be a memory one day. No one is immune. It’s your choice on whether to stay in despair.

Where do you go for respite from pain? I go to Psalms 103:1-5 “Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits- who forgives all your sins, and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s”.

Pain is a common denominator of the human condition. Whether you caused it or were a victim, the effects are the same. No one gets a free pass on this earth. You will have some sort of pain to deal with. Just Don’t stay in it. Find your path to freedom. It will be worth the journey.