Where Pain Meets Peace

Book excerpt: As we contemplate our lives, it is difficult to imagine that pain will be a piece of this beautiful puzzle called life, a necessary component to becoming who we are meant to become. Pain, simply put, is a part of the human experience. Each of us will experience pain differently; some will travel the ups and downs of life with ease, while others remain in the valley until the view from the mountain fades to a distant memory. It is easy to stand on mountain tops and experience gratitude and joy in the smallest things in life. It is easy to pour our hearts out in prayer to a God that we know stands directly beside us. It is in the valleys where pain breeds sorrow that we become lost and often question if God is even with us. We are blinded to the truth that He remains with us in darkness, illuminating its true beauty. It is at this point that for many of us, faith begins to fade, and hope feels lost. In the valley, not only does He remain with us, but He also shows us how to grow and how to experience true joy amid the pain we are guaranteed to experience. The pain will not disappear, but it will dissipate as the experience changes. It is at this point that you will likely discover that your deepest pain will become something that you can be truly grateful for. Whether mountain or valley, the view remains the same . . . breathtaking. In the moments we are lost, the Creator of the universe leaves us a message: He surrounds us each day in nature. Nature holds the answers to survive, and thrive, in our deepest pain: the place where pain meets peace.