The Sunday morning before Christmas, I sipped coffee while reading my Bible and praising God that my family and I were finally all on the mend from so many various sicknesses just in time to begin Christmas week. Hallelujah!
I then headed down our long, wooden staircase when my slippers lived up to their name.
I stepped onto the second step and slipped backward, launched my Britt mug (my daughter Brittany is a ceramicist) into the air, and slammed onto the step.
I then slid all the way down the stairs faster than if I’d been on snow, using my ribs as a sled.
FWAP! WHACK! Boom—boom—boom—boom—boom—boom—boom—boom—boom—BAM.
Crumpled at the bottom, my head bled and pain pierced through my ribs.
But my Britt mug survived without even a chip. It’s made of tougher stuff than me.
Some accused me of trying to get out of cooking on Christmas. Others, of trying to avoid nursery duty at church. I neither confirm nor deny such remarks.
I will confirm, however, that breaking ribs is not what it’s cracked up to be. (Sorry.)
Why Pain, God?
As I lay in agony at the bottom of the steps, I tried to process what just happened and what to do next in the midst of the intense pain.
Scream.
Screaming would be good now because my husband didn’t hear my grand tumble, and I couldn’t imagine moving an inch to get to him.
But I couldn’t breathe.
Oh well. I’m screaming anyway.
God gave me the lung power I needed, and my husband came running and rushed me off to the ER where I received great care and a lovely dose of morphine.
A CAT scan showed I’d broken ribs #8 and 9, but sustained no other damage besides a small cut on my head and some impressive bruises. Apparently, I’m almost as tough as my mug.
My sister—and a gifted nurse—nearly willed me back to health the first day. For never having suffered cracked ribs, she knew how to make the pain easier to endure.
Speaking of pain . . .
I’ve struggled with the question many times in the past of why God allows pain.
With the depth and breadth of all He’s able to do, surely God can use something other than pain to accomplish His purposes.
God answered this question for me years ago as I read about the blind man and the dead man in John 9 and 11.
The Blind Man: I Was Blind, But Now I See
Perhaps about the same time Jesus came to earth as a baby boy, God ordained another baby boy to be born blind.
He’d pre-determined that this baby would grow and live into adulthood with this crushing disability during a time period when there was little to no help for the blind.
Why would God make him suffer so much for so long?
John 9 shows us.
God had planned from before his birth that Jesus would come upon him in Jerusalem and display His healing power in this man.
Never in history had anyone been able to heal a man born blind (John 9:3, 32). Until Jesus.
God was okay with this man and his family experiencing the deep pain of disappointment and struggle for many years until the ordained moment that He would bring about His great purpose for his blindness. And He did.
The man not only received his sight through Jesus but also his eternal salvation.
Yes, he suffered. For a time. A long time. But he’s rejoicing for eternity. Oh, the wonderful grace of God.
The Dead Man: Lord, If You Had Been Here, Our Brother Would Not Have Died
Jesus’ friend Lazarus was sick. Deathly sick.
Mary and Martha rushed a desperate plea to Jesus on behalf of their brother. But because Jesus loved them, He stayed in Jerusalem until Lazarus died (John 11:5-6).
This sent a confusing message.
When Jesus arrived, these grief-stricken sisters wept before Him. They didn’t understand why He’d failed to come in time.
He offered them little explanation other than to say, “Your brother will rise again” (John 11:23-24).
Martha understood the teaching of the resurrection of the dead in the end times, but this distant truth did little to dry her tears or give her peace on this day. She knew Jesus could’ve saved him if only He’d come in time.
Mary and Martha experienced deep pain, and Jesus was okay with allowing it until the ordained moment that He would bring about His great purpose for Lazarus’ death—to display that Jesus is more than a healer. He is the resurrection and the life (John 11:38-44).
The Better Question Than “Why Pain?”
God is not a monster who enjoys our pain. Jesus wept to see such grief (John 11:35).
God is full of wisdom, and He alone sees the end from the beginning.
He knows best how to bring about what will bring Him the most glory and us, our ultimate good.
We serve a kind, compassionate God who makes no mistakes. Nothing is ever out of His control. Nothing. Ever.
All His ways are good and right. He never fails.
As the powerful old hymn says, “What‘ere God ordains is right.”
Even when we didn’t see that coming, God did. And all He does and allows is right.
The better question than why God allows pain is: “Who are we, Lord, that You would even bless us?” And “Why do I ever doubt You or Your ways?”
I may never know why God allowed me to take a tumble down my stairs and break my ribs. But I don’t need to know because I know my Lord, and all He does is right.
I’m glad you didn’t hurt anything else with your fall. When we moved into our previous house I fell down the stairs TWO TIMES in the first six months of living there. They were carpeted and once I was wearing socks and the other time I was not. I have since learned that not having carpet doesn’t make stairs unslippery as we have two sets now and I have to be careful at times. lol When you refer to your Britt mug, is it by the potter John Britt in NC? I am thankful we have a God who knows all and wants the best for us in our lives even when we don’t understand! ?
Oh, yes, Leslie! It’s indeed wonderful that we have a God who knows all and wants the best for us even when we don’t understand!! And I, too, am so glad I didn’t hurt anything else. It could’ve been so much worse! We’ve talked about carpeting our stairs, but clearly from your story, that’s not the full-proof solution. Hmmmm. We’re also looking at textured tread pads. And I’m much more careful now every time I even walk near the stairs. LOL.
As far as the Britt mug, Britt is my daughter who lives on the North Shore of Hawaii and creates beautiful pottery. When my friends come over and see a ceramic mug on my counter they always ask, “Is that a Britt mug?” SO now that what I always call them. 🙂 I put a link at the bottom of the post to her Instagram page: @Muddybusco. She lives in a bus. Pottery is made from mud. And she has her own company, hence: Muddy Bus Co. 🙂 She’s a brilliant artist.
These words are wise, hope-filled, and true. Thank you for the timely reminder at your expense. It’s a good place to stake our faith claim this new year.
Thanks, Lori! It would be a horrible waste to tumble down those stairs and not learn anything from it other than how the ER system works and how important it is to use a handrail. And if I’m going to learn something, it would be selfish of me to keep it to myself. Right? I may not always be right, but God’s ways are. That is indeed a good place to stake our faith claim this new year! 🙂
What a painful, but valuable lesson! Thank you for writing about your “didn’t see it coming” experience in an entertaining, comical way and also for sharing powerful biblical parallel. Well done! I hope I remember your closing words in my “didn’t see it coming” moments!
Haha! I hope I remember my closing words in my next “didn’t see it coming” moments, too. I seem to have a lot of those. Hmmmm. Am I just a slow learner, Lord? LOL. Thanks for your encouragement!
Jean, I pulled that stunt two years ago (wool socks are more slippery than cotton socks, in case anyone is wondering). Forced me to slow down. Helped me be more thankful for my generally great health. Humbled me because I really shouldn’t have been wearing those wool socks to navigate the hardwood floors and stairs. Your reminders about pain and God’s goodness help deal with age-old struggles we have. I feel like our heart of hearts always yearns for our heavenly home where there will be no pain. But, like you, I’m so thankful for a God who knows what He is doing and who redeems all the things we consider “bad” in life.
Oh my, Barb. My heart goes out to you. I agree with you on everything. I’m humbled and grateful for any health I can enjoy. I never knew how awesome it is just to be able to get in and out of bed easily. And not fear sneezing or the stomach bug. My son, daughter-in-law, and one of their twins woke up with the stomach bug last night AFTER my husband and I babysat for them, so I’m praying I will not discover what it’s like to get the stomach bug with broken ribs. I just may meet my Maker! LOL.
You brought up such a great point about our hearts yearning for our heavenly home. These temporary struggles sure keep us rooted in the reality that this life is NOT the main event. The best is yet to come. But while we’re here in these fragile vessels, God’s care is perfect. As you so beautifully said, He knows what He’s doing, and we can trust Him with everything, including all the “bad.”
Thanks for sharing, Barb! And stay safe! 🙂
Thank you, Jean, for the reminders – sometimes “painful” reminders – that God’s ways are always right. There’s so much I think we won’t ever understand this side of heaven, but that doesn’t change the fact that God is always always good! I am praying for your complete healing, quickly, and for gentle breaths until those ribs heal!!
Thanks for those wise words, Julie! You’re so right. We’re not going to understand it all until all is revealed in heaven. I sometimes wish God would show me the end from the beginning of my circumstances so I can see how it’s going to turn out well, but if He did, I’d probably freak out over the path. LOL. It’s better for us to just trust the One who sees and knows all and, as you said, is always always good!! Thanks for your prayers!!!
Beautiful writing, friend! Suffering has come up in discussions regularly in our Sunday school class. I shared this with them. Such beautiful wisdom here. Thank you ❤️
Thank you so much, Janey! I’m thrilled that what God has been teaching me could help your friends. None of us gets through life without suffering, and nothing gets past God’s good purposes. Whew! Thanks for your encouragement!
Indeed He does Ms. Jean. Had God not have allowed your tumble, and temporary discomfort, it may have taken you longer to have written this post. And had He not used this instance for the lesson (for we know you typically have the balance of a gyroscope and reflexes of a cat), then what next might have had to have happened for this post to be born. Two ribs are a small price for a life lesson learned sweet friend. Praying for full and fast recovery in the New Year; and thanking God our friend Ms. Jean was protected as she was.
Awwww, JD. You’ve made me laugh and smile! “balance of a gyroscope and reflexes of a cat” Bahaha. I’m glad only two ribs were needed because this thick head could easily have needed ten ribs and two arms, but then how would I type the beautiful truths God is teaching me? Well, there’s always dictating, right? LOL. Thank you for your prayers! God is indeed working through them. 🙂
Oh, my sweet friend. How kind of our great God to allow you to breathe deeply enough with broken ribs to speak such truth to us. When you can’t take a deep physical breath, He have you a deep spiritual one. Rest and recover and write more, soon!
Thank you, Lisa! What beautiful words and comfort. God has truly been so kind to me through all of this and taught me much. What a great God we serve! Love you, dear friend!