Perseverance in Pain: When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough get Tougher

Last night my family and I had an outdoor movie night. We set up a projector and watched on the lawn. It was lots of fun. The family pick for the night...or rather my pick because I'm leaving for college in 3 days was Soul Surfer.



Talk about an amazingly inspirational story. The movie is all about Bethany Hamilton, a young surfer who lost her arm in a shark attack. Though there are many challenges in learning to live without an arm, Bethany does not let her loss hold her back. Through much hard work she successfully manages to continue surfing, eventually becoming a pro surfer.

To a girl who complains about slight joint pain the story was tear jerking, and was a good change to my perspective. I have lost nothing in comparison to Bethany. My joint pain is minor. I have not been crippled. I can still play violin and piano. I can still type out this blog with little problems. The movie made me rethink some of my previous doubts. God has been good to me.



Even though Bethany has many difficulties getting back into surfing, she doesn't let anything hold her back. She refuses to be treated differently from the other competitors, and always gets back onto the board, even after falling off.

I can easily recall days where playing the violin brought tears to my eyes. I would feel stabbing pains in my wrists, and could barely move my fingers because they felt so stiff and swollen. But even then I continued to play.

Some days it was especially hard. There are still days when doing things hurts. Just today I took a mile long run, and biked. The run brought out pain both from unworked muscles, and from my joints. The bicycle ride caused my knees to make terrible popping noises, and yet I didn't give up. Today on my run I could feel my lungs burning, unused to such hard work. As I ran I focused on my goal, watching the end of the block coming closer and closer. Just one more, I would think to myself.

As I was running today I began to think of the verse in Hebrews.

 "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, ² fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:1-2

Even when things get hard we should fix our eyes on Jesus. He went through far more pain than having arthritis, or losing an arm. He went all the way to the cross. He didn't back down, even when it was painful or difficult. Jesus persevered, even though at any point He could have called down a host of angels and ended His suffering. When we go through pain...or hard times...or situations that we think we can't get out of, we must remember the love of Christ and His great strength in going to the cross. If He could survive all that, surely we can live through a little pain with Him by our side.
Therefore dear brothers and sisters, persevere in all circumstances. Do not lose hope. For with God, all things are possible.

As Bethany says at the end of the movie:

Life is a lot like surfing because if you get caught in the impact zone you've got to get back up because you never know what may be over the next wave.

When next you are struggling, look to Jesus. Remember that through the pain, He might have something marvelous in store for you. God works in mysterious ways. Often it is through our pain that we accomplish great things. For Bethany God allowed her to be an inspiration to thousands, including me. And though I am not yet sure what God has in store for me, I already know it will be marvelous. I'm just waiting to see what's on the other side of that wave.