The Pain of Injury vs. The Pain of Recovery

A few months ago, I made my annual trip to Haiti to speak at Coreluv’s women’s conference. This was my 7th year to go, but this year instead of one women’s conference, we had three. We were at two different locations with three women’s services, seven FULL days of travel, speaking, prayer meetings, devotionals, staff teachings...a FULL FULL WEEK! And I loved every minute of my time there.But this trip was different from all the others. I was in excruciating pain during my entire trip because, while on the plane from Miami to Port-a-Prince, during the hustle and bustle of trying to get luggage stored and into my seat, I twisted my knee…badly…and my knee totally gave out, causing me to fall on the plane. I knew I had hurt my knee, but I didn’t know the extent of the damage until I returned home and had an MRI. The worst-case scenario was confirmed: a ruptured ACL which would require a major surgery.I had been wearing a knee brace since I returned from Haiti, was still in significant pain, and even fell a few times because my knee continued to give out. In spite of all of that, I decided to hold off my surgery until summer, when it was a more “convenient” time in my schedule (Bless my heart!). The pain kept increasing and the risk of me further injuring my knee became greater.At that point, I had a revelation. I was going to have pain. Either I was going to keep putting off my surgery and continue to be in pain, or I would go through the surgery sooner rather than later, still have some pain, but that pain would be through my recovery time, not the continuing pain of my injury. I realized at that moment if the pain was going to be inevitable, I wanted to choose which pain it would be: the pain of my injury or the pain of my recovery.I chose the latter and just a couple of weeks ago, went through my surgery. I’m still in some pain today, but each day it’s a little less because I am now well on the road to recovery.As I’ve pondered more about my thought process in choosing to have my surgery sooner rather than later, I began to see a clear spiritual significance as to what I was walking through in the physical.In this life, there will be pain. There’s just no way to live on this earth and not experience some kind of pain.

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

Most times, the pain we experience, we don’t see coming or expect. Once the “injury” happens to us, we too get to choose which kind of pain we want to walk through: either the pain of the injury or the pain of our recovery.They are not one in the same, in fact, they are very different. The pain of your injury is so hurtful, discouraging, and often times, hopeless. However, the pain of recovery is necessary for healing to happen.

You don’t get to move to the pain of recovery unless you allow yourself to go through the “surgery” to repair the injury in your heart.

Only then will you have complete hope and confidence that your heart will once again be restored, allowing you to live your life to the fullest!

There are other differences as well:

The pain of injury: is long-lasting and doesn’t end. In fact, the longer the pain continues, the higher the risk of further injury.The pain of recovery: does eventually end, but only with hard work and dedication to the healing process.The pain of injury: keeps you trapped in the season of your injury.The pain of recovery: allows you to move past your injury and forward through your healing. Eventually, all that remains of your injury is a scar ~ a permanent reminder of God’s faithfulness to you during your season of pain.The pain of injury: is a breeding ground for FEAR to take root and grow in your life. By re-living your injury over and over and the people involved in your injury, the pain and the fear continues to take over your life.The pain of recovery: gives place for FAITH to grow. Faith in knowing that God has walked you through your injury and that He’s also walking with you on your road to complete recovery and healing.

Going through a surgery is hard, but staying injured is even harder.

I’m just a few weeks past my surgery now. I still feel some pain. It’s not ongoing pain ~ it’s just twinges of pain from time to time, but I know that there is coming a day that I’ll be pain-free in my once-injured knee. And I can’t wait for that day!I’m so thankful I chose the pain of recovery over the pain of my injury ~ both in my knee ~ and in my life. I pray you will choose the same!