Dr. Herman O. Kelly, Jr., Columnist

At some point in each of our lives, we experience pain through the loss of a loved one. We experience pain through the end of a friendship; we even experience pain through the mistakes we have made in life. However, the journey is not about the pain we experience but about the purpose it gives to us. Pain can debilitate us and make us helpless victims of its outcome. It is not so much the result we want but that we must travel through our individual pain with some purpose in mind. I have attempted to journey with a purpose in mind during my own seasons of pain.

First, as we travel through our pain, God gives us purpose. As I was swimming one day, God spoke to purpose within my pain, and the pain was not less severe, but now it had a purpose. In your pain, it is important to find purpose. The purpose will give direction to your pain. We all know pain is not easy, nor is it something we look forward to in our lives; however, pain is a reality of our existential experience. Pain is a part of our journey.

Second, we travel through our pain with strength toward our purpose. Pain can make us weak at the knees. It can cause sleepless nights and long days, but pain can also cause us to gain strength we never knew existed. In my own pain, I have found strength and support from my faith. Faith is not faith when we see it. Faith is really faith when we do not see it. Second Corinthians 5:7 reminds us that, “We walk by faith and not by sight.”

Third, we travel through our pain in the community. Only some will understand our pain. Everyone will not be cordial and supportive. In fact, some people may even attempt to take advantage of our pain. Nevertheless, we can find genuine community as we travel through pain with a purpose. We are not created to live alone, but we can decide with whom we want to take this journey.