Few years ago, I had a surgery for my tooth, 4 of them. They had to go out of my mouth because they don't grow up normally. Thank God the surgery went just fine and U know what, when they cut it out and took them out, I couldn't even feel the pain. It almost like there was no pain at all. But the real pain came after the surgery. Yes, I couldn't eat a daily, normal food. No rice, noodles, bread, etc. Only liquid and something like porridge or soup. To make things worse , after the drugs went away, I start to feel the pain! So I couldn't open my mouth properly and widely, otherwise it would inflict more pain. I don't like it. I don't like pain. I try to avoid pain.
What is pain? Good question. Pain means hurt for some people. Hurt physically, hurt spiritually. Pain is something that I don't like. U don't like. We don't like.
U run very fast and your foot slip, U bump your face into the ground. Blood comes out from your nose. U feel hurt. That's pain.
U trust somebody with all your heart and soul. But they left U. They cheated on U. They disappoint U. They hurt U. That's pain.
My friends, pain is important in our life. No, U don't read it wrong. Let me repeat again, pain is important in our life. Why is it important? Because pain can push U up or bring U down. It is similar with fire that can make U warm but at the same time it can burns U.
Let's take a look at physical pain.
"When He came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed Him. A man with leprosy came and knelt before Him and said, "Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean." Jesus reached out His hand and touched the man. "I am willing," He said. "Be clean!" Immediately he was cured of his leprosy." (Mat 8:1-3)
Leprosy. From what I read and heard, it is not just hurt your body and nerves but it also hurt your feelings. Someone who has leprosy will be living his life alone. No one wants to go near him. It was a curse disease they said. But U see when people get sick, most of the time they will do anything to get healed. They will do the unthinkable, go to the doctor, eat antibiotics, go to alternative medicine, eat fruits, eat more vegetables, go to a shaman, acupuncture, and also pray. U see that this man came to Jesus, knelt and asked to be healed. Do U think he would do that if he was in a full health? For me, I don't think so. But because he was sick, he came to Jesus and knelt down right away! (sign of desperation..) Came and knelt down. He did the unthinkable as long as he got cured. Crowds followed Jesus that time, but he didn't feel ashamed, he didn't worry about the crowds, he wanted to be clean. He has faith. This is the part that I like, look at the way Jesus cured him. Jesus just came down from a mountain, maybe He felt a little bit tired when all of a sudden this man came to Him and 'bug' Him. But He didn't feel annoyed, He didn't ask that man 'Who are u?' , He didn't ask him about his job, He didn't say 'Wait a minute', He didn't say anything but "I am willing, be clean!".
Friends, when U read this, I hope and pray U are in a good health, free from any disease, but if U are in one that hurts U, that makes U feel pain, U can always come to Him. He won't care about your past, your mistakes, your job, as long as U have faith, then God willing and U will be healed. U know from my surgery's story, when I knew I had to have a surgery (4 tooth!) , I complained to God. Yes I am. I said to Him, 'God, 6 billion people in this world and I have to suffer this. I hate dentist, God.' God didn't come right away to my dream or appear right in front of me that time. But U know what, it was a wake up call from Him. I used to not cherish or appreciate my lunch or my dinner or my breakfast. I used to think that it is ok to left over some foods. After all this commotion, God wants to remind me about appreciating foods. And I do appreciate them now. No more left over.
Spiritual pain.
"Martin, can we talk?" Liz looked very serious that day. For a moment I thought it was Julia Gillard in front of me and I was Tony Abbott, we were ready to talk about financial situation in Australia.
"About what?" I said. "I broke up with my boyfriend." She answered.
For more than 2.5 hours, she told me everything about him. Where did she meet him, their first date, how good he was, how long they had been together, his favorite food, sports, music, cars, etc. In the end what I wait for a long time finally came. The reason!
"I didn't really know why he left. He just left. No phone. No text. No, nothing". I didn't say a word.
"But...to be honest..we had sex 2 weeks before he left me. And now he's gone..." she started to cry. I didn't say a word. "I'm so disappointed, I feel dirty, I feel useless, my heart is broken to pieces...". The tears starts to flow like a rainy day.
"Are you desperate?" I asked. "Yes..I've been through 5 relationships but none of it was good..they all left after they got my body.." she said.
For a moment I kept silent until she was a little bit calm down and I said, "Liz, desperate is a good sign." She was shocked! She stopped crying and looked at me as if I was speaking in mandarin.
I inhale then exhale and said, "Desperate is a good sign. Why? Because desperate people will do desperate things. U see that people can do the thing that they don't want to do in a normal condition. But desperate people will do anything to get out of their condition. U have 2 choices, take drugs, drink and be an alcoholic, go to the bar, go to club, smoke, eat junk food, drink more and more sodas, hurt yourself to make the pain go away. Or U can go do some exercises, study, read books, eat healthy food, drink water, and one more thing...U can pray." When she heard the word 'pray' , she was shock again and looked at me as if I was speaking latin this time.
She argued about it's been a long time and she never pray anymore, she felt dirty, she felt as a bad bad bad sinner. But I tried to convince her to give it a try for 2 weeks. Pray every night for at least 5 minutes. She agreed.
1 day, 2 days, 3 days, 1 week, 2 weeks and she decided to meet up with me again.
"Martin, your suggestion doesn't work" she said.
"Really?"
"Yeah, look, I already pray day by day like U told me but I don't feel better."
I smiled and said, "Liz, the thing is that when U pray, U already make things better. It just that U don't realize it. Look at yourself. U are not an alcoholic. U are not junkies. U don't gain weight. U look fresh. And the more important thing is...U don't hurt yourself."
She smiled, nodded her head, mouthing 'thank you' and walk away.
Friends, when U read this I hope and pray your relationships with family and friends are great. I know there are a lot of another 'Liz' out there. Some people have bad relationship with their family. A drunk father that likes to beat up his wife and kids. A father that keeps looking down into their kids, never satisfied, never encourage, just look down to all what the kids have been done. A mother who always busy. Never cook U for your dinner. Never at home when U got home. A sibling that always drag U into their trouble. Drugs, gamble, etc..
Some people have bad relationship with the others. Your boyfriend left U. Your girlfriend cheated on U. Your friend do 'back stabbing' on U. Your friends talk about U behind your back.
U feel hurt.. U feel pain.. U feel disappointed.. U feel like dying maybe.. U feel a broken heart.. U feel desperate..
Let me close with some facts. First, if U feel hurt, pain, disappointed, desperate, U must remember that U are NOT alone. "But Martin, the thing is that it is my family and friends that keep hurting me..I have no one.." U are wrong. U have God. Remember what I said earlier? Desperate people will do desperate things. Pray like U never pray before. Second, success makes U sleepy, unaware, complacent, relax, and soft. I didn't say success isn't important. I didn't say U can't be a successful person. But what I said is through failure, mistakes, and pain U will grow stronger. It makes U aware! It keeps U awake! Imagine a winner of 1 billion US$ through a lottery. Do U think it will last long? I don't think so. Most of them who win money through lottery goes bankrupt. Easy come, easy go. Achieve success through pain, it will last long time.
I hope if U hurt, emotionally, U can turn that feeling into your engine that will drive U further like a car..
I hope if U are sick right now, physically, U realized that it is a wake up call..not a curse..
I hope if U feel desperate, U do positive desperate things and use it as your vitamin to grow better..
God bless all of U abundantly =)
-M-
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