As He expands our understanding

Wednesday Word

In the midst of all the pain, a light of truth shown so brightly that it paused the darkness named sorrow and suffering, and suddenly clarity came, out of nowhere, rendering me yet again humbled.

Thanks for joining me for Wednesday’s Word with Trench Classes United.

Have you ever been so focused on what someone has done to hurt you that you had no idea you had a part in it?

To step out of our own pain and pray for understanding is one of the hardest, but most rewarding spiritual exercises I have experienced.

How do we step out of our own pain? Change our focus, and for many of us, that’s not so easy, at least for me it’s not. Proverbs 3:5 tells us to lean not on our own understanding…

I remember a particular night at the beginning of a particularly painful season. I spent almost the entire night praying with a heart that cried out for help, asking my Heavenly Father to hold me and to reveal my part in this very painful situation. I had been so immersed in and blinded by my own pain, I just knew I had to do something different, so instead of sitting in my pain, focusing on my right to be mad, hurt, and angry, I changed my focus. I didn’t ask Him to change the other person; I begged Him to reveal my part.
​
Notice I didn’t run from my pain, as many of us are tempted to do. Society teaches us that we shouldn’t feel pain; we should only do what makes us happy. Why is that false? Because pain and sorrow can bring understanding, but only if we change our focus to the One whose plan is to help us, lift us up and out of ourselves that we may learn from the pain. In other words, sometimes it takes pain to learn a lesson, to discover more about ourselves, to cut away that which needs to go that we may become more like our Creator.

My daughter-in-love gave me a beautiful word in the midst of this situation that emphasizes what I’m trying to share here: What we focus on expands. What is it I wish to expand? My pain or His plan?
My heart now rejoices knowing my Father is so invested in expanding my understanding while diminishing my pain, bringing me more clarity that I would walk in victory thru this difficult season.

Love,
Kim-Evinda