Pain/purge?

How strange that something as small as a tooth can give such  incredible pain! I spent Thursday night in some of the worst pain I’ve ever experienced (I’d choose childbirth over it any day!) Think of the pain when a dentist’s drill accidentally touches a nerve, but continuous for hours on end. Painkillers had no effect whatsoever. I couldn’t touch one side of my face and head and could feel my swollen cheek pressing between my teeth. All I could do was try to hold out till morning when I could phone my dentist.

Finally, around 4am. I reached the end of my strength and control as it seemed to come in ever intensifying waves, I tried not to scream and told God frantically in prayer that He’d promised not to tempt us above what we are able (I was already all prayed up by this time lol).

I had a sensation of something giving way and slowly the pain ebbed. Exhausted, I fell asleep instantly to awake pain free (though with a highly sensitive area I didn’t dare try to touch).

I was overwhelmed by the total bliss of being without pain. I’d taken it for granted. Everything was so good by comparison. I could again snuggle into my pillow, i could think of other things beside the pain. I could enjoy my life again. Reaching for my morning devotional book every word seemed to come alive with vibrant meaning. A great peace came on my soul as if the pain had cleansed away all the dross. I never ever want to go through something like that again and yet even this held a silver lining.

I cannot conceive what it must be like to live in constant pain. I have great respect for folks that do this. I know I’m not strong enough to bear it, but my prayer is that, like me, at some point they can have the total bliss of being minus pain.