What I Learned About Pain From A Granola Bar

If you’ve been following my big girl blog, then you know I’m trying to lose weight. Well, a few months ago, I felt impressed to stop eating these particular bars; Nature Valley™ Sweet & Salty Nut Granola Bars to be exact. Well after my morning walk, I decided I needed a treat. Y’all when I reached for the box I knew, all up in here that I shouldn’t. But those nuts were calling me…calling me. I bit into that ‘sweet, creamy, granola…dipped in buttery peanuty’ goodness and almost immediately it felt like I lost a molar. But did that stop me? No! Being the sweet freak that I am, I totally ignored the pain and deliberately overlooked the guilt that riddled me with every delicious bite.

A Lesson in Pain Fast forward two days and my gums are swollen. Not only that, but I’m in excruciating pain. So much so, that it hurts to speak, I can hardly swallow and I’m about to take the maximum dosage allowed of the strongest over-the-counter painkiller and its only 5 o’clock. I can’t leave work, but this pain has got me readjusting my budget because if something doesn’t give, I’ll have to miss these few hours. In that moment, I realized that I have got to jump on this with two feet. This isn’t just about the pain. I know that if I give in to it, that it will quickly morph into something long term. What I mean by that, is that if you don’t immediately rebuke a cough, sniffle or twinge, it’ll transform into a cold, the flu, or an outright disease. Because remember. It started off as one molar but within a matter of days, the whole right side of my mouth was enlarged which meant I had to nip this in bud NOW! And as such, I did what I’m encouraging you to do when you’re faced with the same and that’s pray.

Praying in Pain

But not the proverbial prayer. But pray in the Spirit. You see Jude 20 says, ‘But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit.’ Build in the Greek means ‘to edify’. It can be likened to what happens when you put a battery on the charger. Over time, the battery gets more and more power. I was the battery and as I continued to pray in other tongues, I could feel the tightness loosening. The more I prayed, the better I felt. I did that for several minutes until without even realizing it, I was pain free. Am I saying that the swelling is gone? No. It’s still there, but the pain is gone. And this is what I want you to understand about healing. Sometimes you won’t be healed all at once. Pain Leaves As You Go Luke 17:11-14 says, “…[Jesus]…met…ten men who were lepers…and they lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”…So…He said to them, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed.” Notice the lepers were healed…as they went. As they went infers that they weren't cleansed on the spot. Their healing came in the process of time. And though immediate miracles do occur, more often than not, God will heal you through recovery. Mark 16:18 says, ‘they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” Earlier that day, I laid hands on myself. I didn’t just claim my healing, I claimed recovery which meant that even if it didn't manifest all at once, I'd accept pain in lesser degrees until it did. Some might think that because my gums are still swollen that I’m not healed. But they’d be mistaken because I’m a-wenting! Meaning like the lepers, I’ll be healed in stages. First stage – pain free; second stage, no swelling. Yes You Were Disobedient But Jesus Bore It

Isaiah 53:4 says Jesus bore our pain. Therefore, the next time you experience pain, remember Jesus already bore it. I had to remember that, because with each throb came the reminder of the granola bars I shouldn't have eaten. And even though I was disobedient and experienced pain as a result, after I repented, I had to remind myself that Jesus bore the pain that was plaguing my mouth. Therefore, God wasn't punishing me for it. And whatever your granola bar is, you should remember the same. The next time you're in pain, pray in the Spirit and don’t be moved by the pain as you pray. Just keep praying and watch God edify, build, and heal you – one pain at a time.