Life of the Party

Pain never just creeps into a person's life. Pain never just stops by for a front porch conversation, never knocks on your door or calls to see if it's a good time. Pain always throws a party, and this party is guaranteed to shock you. Pain jumps out from behind the couch and shouts, "SURPRISE!!!!" Pain is the ultimate loose cannon—loud, flamboyant, and obnoxious. This is why we are so surprised when we walk through the doorway of the day-to-day to find this party planner in our home, with a crowd of unique and powerful guests. What you are about to read is a concept that God has allowed pain to teach me. Pain is a part of life—and, regardless of the reasons it shows up, I believe we can use it to discover purpose. There are several guests who will always show up at a pain party, and our ability to move through it comes down to our responses to the guests we choose to interact with. This is the story of Joanna, a conversation that took place between us, and ultimately the healing that was discovered through perspective. My prayer is that you will also experience this healing perspective and forever see pain through the lens that heals.