Pain Hurts

The woman who needs a friend,
The woman who misses family,
The woman who feels alone,
Pain hurts.
The woman who desires a new career,
The woman who is without a job,
The woman whose job is all she has time for,
Pain hurts.
The woman who longs for a husband,
the woman whose husband is distant,
the woman whose husband is gone.
Pain hurts.
The woman who longs to have children,
the woman who can't have children,
the woman who has lost children,
the woman whose children are lost,
Pain hurts.
The woman whose parent is dying,
The woman who is dying and leaving children,
The woman whose parents are gone and she needs them,
Pain hurts.
The woman who thinks no one cares,
the woman who bears so many others' burdens,
the woman who pushes others away,
the woman who is pushed away,
Pain hurts.
Your greatest joy is my deepest desire,
My biggest complaint is your greatest longing, 
Pain hurts.

These women go to my church. They are part of my family. They are women sinking in the despair of sin and can't break free from the strongholds in their lives. They are women longing for husbands and children. They are women going through divorce. They are women who have lost their husbands or children. They are women who have children that are hurting or making poor choices. They are women who are lonely and long for friendships. They are women who have lost dear friends. They are women whose loved ones have hurt them. And the list goes on. Oh, how we're hurting.

This summer at VBS, we studied the story of Lazarus' death. Mary and Martha didn't understand why Jesus waited to come, and it appeared that Jesus did not care. We see, however, that He cared so deeply that he dealt with Mary and Martha individually to meet their needs, and then He wept because of the sorrow that comes with death. Oh, how He cares.

As we hurt, may we wait upon the Lord who has promised an Isaac, and for Whom nothing is impossible! "Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, without wavering, for he who promised is faithful (Hebrews 10:23)!"

~Rebecca Phillips