My wife, shared a quote with me yesterday: "pain is the weakness leaving your body." It takes a minute to let your mind wrap around. This quote was actually found on a t-shirt of a Marine (oorah!). A very good friend of mine (also x-marine) and I share a racquetball game once a week. This guy is known for peeling the paint color off the ball. Once reported, his racquet was seen catching fire as it ripped through the air from a strategic serve. I truly believe this guy is part human and part machine.

Last night, my compadree’s batteries were depleting. You see, we have an ongoing challenge to beat the air out of each other every time we step in the court. If you have ever watched a game of racquetball, the game is designed by strategy, finesse and speed. We played two rounds last night, which is a 25 minute duel per game. The first game was won by yours truly; the second was my leather neck friend. Actually, we had to stop the second game because he was getting short of breath. My friend has a tendency to never quit. He can play with a broken leg, arm or hand and never do you see him flinch (also, true Marine). I love verbally egging my friend on. Unfortunately, he has a dead-lock focus like an english bull dog. By the 3rd quarter of our game, he was already winning. We were both getting wore out.

He approached the serving line, and turned around to ask me if I knew CPR. I said “yes, but your kind of sweaty.” Seriously, I questioned him if he was joking. He said no, but he wanted to keep playing. He continued to serve the ball. The next minute I found him leaning up against the wall. He signaled to me that he was ok, but was breathing heavy. He wanted to keep going. Are you serious? Immediately I said no. We are ending the game; you won. In his true Marine spirit, he would rather fight than to concede. I explained that I’d rather have him drive home in his vehicle rather than in an ambulance. Thankfully, we did stop. He got his breath back. All the while, my wife was watching him change into a myriad of Christmas colors. After a few minutes, he was ok. Before we left, I handed him a fresh bottle of apple juice for him to regain the needed sugars. He was back to normal when it was all said and done.

Funny thing. It is so easy to find ourselves on either side of this court. We may watch someone go through pain or maybe experiencing it ourselves. Pulling away can be the most difficult response. In the moment of anxiety, our physical and emotional world closes in on us. I am not ashamed to admit that I suffer from anxiety. In fact, at varying degrees, we all have it. We each have certain response methods and measures in dealing these circumstances. It is our responsibility to better know how to handle our conditions in order to get the help we need. Most importantly, we need to keep our spiritual condition in check as well.

Pain leaving the body is not for the faint of heart. I like the earlier statement: "pain is the weakness leaving your body," because its true. Pain is a normal response of being human. However, we can take comfort in the midst of pain through the reality of release. The Bible says it best:

6 I am bowed down and brought very low;
all day long I go about mourning.

7 My back is filled with searing pain;
there is no health in my body.

8 I am feeble and utterly crushed;
I groan in anguish of heart. - Psalm 38:6-8

Now that’s pain. Here’s the other side of its release:


I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. - John 16:20.

So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy. - John 16:22

So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy. - 1Pt.1:6

Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance. - Rom 5:3

Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” - James 1:4

May the Lord direct your hearts into God's love and Christ's perseverance. - 2Thess. 3:5

As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy. - Js. 5:11

Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. - 1Pt. 4:12-13

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. - Heb. 12:1

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. - 1Cor. 1:2-4

Cast your cares on HIm, let your body feel it, throw aside your anxieties, get back up and run the race of faith. Let the pain leave your body as God produces his peaceable fruit in you.