Sometimes life is too painful. We strain to imagine a life free from pain, trouble, and trials. In John 16, Jesus likens the pain and joy of childbirth to our troubles. Did you know that the pain tolerance of the human body is 45 dels (unit) of pain? When giving birth, a mother feels up to 57 dels (unit) of pain. This is similar to 20 bones getting fractured at a time.”* A mother looks back on this unbearable pain with such joy that she’s willing to have more children. She wouldn’t feel the same way if she had 20 bones simultaneously crushed. God creates women with that capacity; when we live in him, we are pregnant with the possibility for our pain to become our gain.
21 When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. 22 So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.
John 16:21-22
Like A Mother
When we are in God’s family, we have his spirit, strength, and promises that transform our pain as he does with a woman giving birth. In him, we can eventually look back on those times with joy. This is absolutely true in my cancer battle. I don’t want cancer again, but much of that anguish has been replaced with the joy of what God did through it for me. Now I have to reach within that time when I’m empathizing with cancer patients. If you are going through difficult times, invite God to save you from it all. It won’t prevent the pain, but he will walk with you, and the sting will be gone. Look up; there is hope; he loves you so much!
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me;
Psalm 23:4
You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy,
Psalm 30:11
