Pondering pain: practising a positive perspective...

Lately I've been extra-introspective you could say.

What with having a new baby, and that gall bladder surgery...and then being on 'house-arrest' to recover... well it's given me time to ponder.

How do I handle suffering?

Pain. heartbreak. trials. come into every one of our lives.

Does it break us... how do we respond?

What do we actually consider to be labelled suffering anyway?

There's a term over here called 'First World Problems:

some nut cut you off while driving your sports car.

some idiot made your Latte with skim milk instead of soy.

the price of gas makes driving to the corner store a hassle.

your kids want to play while your favourite show is on.

Yep, these 'trials' pale in comparison to a world suffering to:

find clean water, 

escape poverty,

fight diseases.

...

I wonder how often am I like the Princess and the Pea story...

buoyed up on layers of comfort, only to be enraged by the one particle of discomfort brought into my life.

For this home.maker that could mean:

a mountain of laundry.

a kitchen submerged in dirty dishes.

a constellation of toys around my feet.

the phone ringing while I'm busy.

...

 Every day is a choice.

A decision to see the positive in these 'pains'.

Or, as I've said before: to flex the muscle of gratitude in my heart.

Which translates as:

a wardrobe of clothing for our family.

meals enjoyed together with friends.

playful children I get to stay home with. 

kind souls who want to touch base with me.

...

By the end of the day is my heart filled with grumbling or gratitude?

Do I feel bitter or blessed?

God help me to see any daily trial as an opportunity to praise.

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Now, at this point I feel the need to add a disclaimer: just because we live in a 'First World' culture does not mean that people don't face deep. painful suffering.

death

loss

unemployment

miscarriage

divorce

I'm not addressing these real trials here.  I'm not encouraging a stoic or naive approach to just 'grin and bear it'.  We weep with those who weep.  And I'm truly sorry for any who are facing these issues currently.

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I'm just trying to remind myself (and maybe encourage you too)

to evaluate the difficult moments in our day...

and notice if that squeeze brings out the grace or the grime in our hearts. 

I know mine still needs a lot of growth,

heart.at.work.

Mel ;o)