Aches And Pains

MAR. 8, 1981, 5:59 AM
W. WILLOW, STUDY

Hear some words this morning, o son, on several manifestations of this theme… words that shall be more positive than you might expect. You know this shall be an interesting and useful teaching, yet your attention wanders to trivials. It would be better if the desk, in the immediate area were cleared. Better.

Your aches and pains have been essentially gone, though the lingering feeling in your back is worrisome. Your left elbow has a strange pain, of unremembered origin. Accept it merely as a symbol of imperfection and as a reminder of all you possess that does not hurt. Fundamentally, pain of some sort is a part of all being… and a fairly major part of the being of some persons. I tell you again: for some this comes accidentally, for others it is karmic, and for others it is just the manifestation of a defective body… which has no necessary relationship to mental-emotional-spiritual being. Some pain is inflicted by evil spirits, and this is the most difficult to combat. And some pain is a “gift” from Me, offered for purposes that are uniquely Mine. So, in most instances, I am not the direct instigator of the aches, but I can often use them for My purposes.

One might ask: how can a just and merciful God permit… even cause… suffering in individuals, particularly in some who have relationship with You and seem not to deserve that which they experience? I can but testify that from the broad and long perspective with which I see life… that which I have created and continue to nurture… suffering can promote spiritual growth that could come no other way, suffering stimulates compassion as nothing else can, and suffering affects a balance to life that many should recognize.

You, for instance, have had a life of superb wholeness in body. Your body has functioned well and relatively painlessly. Appreciate this past, but do not pine for it. Live in the now – present, fully and responsibly, and anticipate either future… one of complete recovery to wholeness again or one of continued disability. Either one has merit; either one is a means for relationship with Me, and this is the central purpose of life. You attest that My servant Paul had a major part in leading you to personal commitment to Me. Paul had a zeal for wholeness, with the fine motivation of wanting to represent Me well. He prayed mightily and often for relief from the defect that was his to suffer. I considered carefully, but decided that it was a proper balance for him. He understood this, but never fully accepted this judgment. (He does now, of course.)

Your concern goes to Wilma Ruth… to this new pain that comes on top of all the others she has experienced. You also know that this sister-in-law of yours is one of My special servants, chosen by Me for special tasks here in the earth. I give her much attention. I can only say that pain is part of her rhythm with Me in this life. She can do her part in accomplishing My will more fully with her disabilities than without them. I know this and affirm it.

Back to you again. It is perfectly proper for you to seek help and to follow whatever the regimen prescribed is… as long as it does not interfere with your service to Me. Be diligent in what you do, but give it as little of your spiritual attention as possible. You also have aches and pains in relation to your work for me and its non-accomplishment because of other tasks. Your rhythm is not what it should be now, and it really cannot be set more properly until next Fall. You know what priorities are. First things first. You are slower coming to this than I thought you would be.

If one has a low threshold of pain even insignificant hurts can be troublesome, even incapacitating. Your threshold of pain in relation to your responsibility to Me is going down. Even your experience of Grace, though helpful, cannot save you from the aches that shall be harder to bear. The solution, however , is simple. Reorganize your life to new priorities. Accomplish My tasks in better time.

You are not completely surprised, o son, that a teaching on aches and pains should move from the obviously physical to the spiritual realm. Know that this is the pain about which you should be the most concerned. Serve Me well and satisfaction shall supplant aches. It doesn’t take a miracle.

Shalom
7:11 AM