Pain Has a Ministry

Dr. Howard Thurman once wrote a powerful meditation called "Pain Has A Ministry." I have wrestled with this reality, not because I doubt the veracity of Dr. Thurman's words because I don't doubt them. In fact my Lord said "In this life you will have trouble, but take heart I have overcome the world." Yet there is still the struggle with the unknown; the pensiveness with the unexpected and the mind bending maze of misery from unmerited suffering.
I wrestle with this concept because Hurt does not halt at the door of Hope. I wrestle with it because brokenness does not bow to Belief. I wrestle because doubt does not disperse with Faith.
However wrestling is not a bad thing I have come to know that to wrestle and not act like I got it all together is first of all liberating. Liberating from the opinions of others who have not walked in my shoes. Liberating from old beliefs that don't align with the Bible that say "you ought not question God." Well Jesus sure did!
Wrestling is also not a bad thing because it means I am continuing the fight for Life. I am not sitting back wasting away in the whirlpool of worry. I am not self medicating myself with prayer tranquilizing placebos (I'm too blessed to be stressed-Bull). I am not letting name it and claim it soothsayers seduce me into the scandal of my problems are a result of my lack of faith. No I'm like Jacob wrestling with God at the river Jabok. I am fighting for what is good and "I will not let go Lord until you Bless me."
Finally to wrestle is to learn How much God really Loves me. God Loves me so much that he lets me struggle with him on subjects like these. God loves me so much that even though he could destroy me in the struggle he doesn't; he may cause me to limp so that I will remember I met him for myself but that is for my testimony to someone else. God loves me because he knows in my wrestling with Pain, with problems, with difficulty, disaster, despondency, brokenness and doubt I'm really fighting to help usher in the Kingdom of heaven. I am fighting for the day and the hour where God will wipe away all tears from our eyes, and where there will be no more crying, no more suffering, no more pain, and no more death. Pain does have a ministry but you might be surprised to find out how the ministry manifest itself. What do you think?