Pain

Pain and suffering is a reality which is faced by all human beings at some point of time or the other in life. We really feel the pain when it affects us or touches our epidermis.  When we hear about people who have died due to a blast or an accident, most of the times it goes into our heads like any other news article.  The maximum we can do about these things is to have pity for the victims, pray for the deceased and wish that it would have never have had happened.

                The actual sorrow takes place in the hearts of the grieving family members who have lost their loved one. They and only they know how painful it is for them to face the reality of having lost someone so very close to them. There are so many people who are losing their lives every day on account of sickness, terrorist attacks, accidents, abortion, and murder and so on. One may ask ‘What is going on in this world?’

                The main question that can be asked or better still is definitely asked by the suffering person or the family members is:

‘Why me/us Lord?’ or ‘Where is God?’

‘Does He care for our pain and suffering?’

Each of us has asked this question at various moments in time. This question seems to be very basic and simple but at the same time it is a very important and a tricky question.

                The story of the footprints on the shore of the sea is very apt for this question. In moments of our joys we see 2 sets of footprints, one is our own and the other belongs to God. However in moments of pain and suffering we see only 1 set of footprints. We ask God, ‘Where were you when I was in pain and anguish?’ He smiles at us and replies saying, ’The pain was too much for you to bear my child and hence I carried you.’