Sometimes, people refuse the thing that will heal them because they fear the pain of treatment. Let us not be that way. Let us love the hand that strikes us for our good. And let us be willing to be that means of grace for others. Let us be willing to cause the pain that brings restoration.

A common question I get in the hospital: “Is this going to hurt?” My response: “Probably.” That might be a weird thing to read. To be clear, I’m a registered nurse. Nursing is about serving those who are sick and vulnerable. “So what do you mean that you hurt people for a living? Don’t you mean you help people for a living?” And here is the question that I want to ask: Why can’t it be both? And yes, it is very often both.

As I’m working to bring people back to better health, pain is often involved. I can’t count the number of needles I’ve used, catheters placed, wounds packed, bandages wrapped, shots given, etc… All of these things bring incredible discomfort, and yes, pain. But this is not pointless pain. This is purposeful pain with the goal of bringing healing. That shot is painful, but the sickness it is treating is deadly. The process of cleaning and treating a wound is painful, but without the poking and prodding the wound could get infected and spread to the whole body. I hurt people for a living, but the pain is not the goal. The goal is restoration.

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