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Pain is Pain, No Matter Its Face

By: Laurel Aiyana


Pain and suffering have become a reality no one escapes, as sad result of living in a fallen world. We all experience it in many forms. It manifests differently for each person. Many try to compare pain and list it hierarchically in terms of worst levels of suffering, but when it comes down to it, pain is pain, mo matter its face, and Jesus died for our sins and suffering, and he doesn’t differentiate between types of pain. He is here to comfort us all.



I was raised in a middle class household. I wasn’t physically abused or sexually molested, but we’re all broken, and my parents weren’t perfect, and I suffered tremendous emotional abuse as a result of their brokenness. I didn’t feel entitled to feel this pain because I hadn’t been badly beaten, etc. But, then I started hearing people say that emotional abuse can be the most damaging. I didn’t quite believe it as I had heard stories of women who had been raped, others whom were victims of incest, and other horror stories. I didn’t feel that I had a right to feel my pain – that it didn’t seem to compare to some others sufferings, so I stuffed my hurts deep inside. Despite all efforts, however, pain comes out in other forms. It’s like a disease – it infects every relationship and action. One wise person told me – pain is pain. The Lord doesn’t differentiate between hurts, and only help those dealing with certain types of pain. We’re all in need of healing from our brokenness, whatever form it takes. Sometimes, I still don’t feel entitled or worthy of healing when I look at the poor and impoverished, the oppressed in third world countries. I keep thinking, I should be able to cope, as I have not suffered those atrocities, but I still have my own pain that must be healed, and masking it only keeps me in the same state of brokenness, and I have lived with the curse of bad relationships stemming from stuffed pain.



We all have our Goliaths in our lives to face. They may be different for each person, the same for some. But no one is immune from the trials of life. We all dream of living in the Garden of Eden. It’s the life we were designed for, but cannot have, until the Lord’s second coming. There is, however, healing available to all of us, and help in those fiery trials. Each victory demonstrates how real Jesus is in our life, and that living in the promise land can happen in each of our lives. The Israelites had to fight to live in the promise land. It wasn’t just handed to them on a silver platter. We all have to bring our problems to the foot of the cross. All healing starts there. We need forgiveness for sins, and to forgive ourselves and our human failings and brokenness, and we need to forgive others for what they’ve done to us. There’s freedom in forgiveness. Prayer and community can help us with this process. When we’re in pain and really suffering, our faith can waiver under all the pressures. Sometimes, we need to have others to have faith for us during these times, to see us through. Sometimes we just need to be carried, til we can walk ourselves.



Like Job, we all need an unwavering perseverance. The only way to deal with the pain and suffering is to go through it, not around it, or away from it. One must remember, however, that we need not go through it alone. Jesus is with us, and we also need to reach out to our church community. We need prayers, assistance and lots of hugs from other prayer warriors, who have likewise, have met their Goliaths. Trials strengthens and stretches all of us. If life was always easy, we’d be weak and superficial. I’m a single mother of two children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, rarely get child support on a regular basis, and suffer from Rheumatoid Arthritis, Fibromyalgia, and Raynaud’s Disease. My pain is as real as the next person’s, and I’m just as deserving of the Lord’s comfort and help, and I now can embrace it for myself, and receive His help. God doesn’t differentiate between types of pain. His love and healing are available to all indiscriminately. All we have to do is call on Him, and He’s there in the pain with us. He understands human suffering because He lived it, and suffered one of the worse deaths imaginable. He truly knows pain and suffering, but by His stripes, we are healed, and we need to embrace that for ourselves, and never give up hoping, even during the times when there seems like there’s no reason for hope. We must persevere, and if we do, the Lord in all His mercy, will transform us, and we will walk into the promise land here on Earth.



No one said the journey was easy, but those who push through, do make it, but we have to have faith and trust in the Lord, and when we don’t have that faith, we need to call on friends to have faith for us. God only requires us to have faith the size of a mustard seed. He grants us wide berth. How lucky we are to have such a loving God that truly knows our suffering, and is more than willing to dry our tears.

Those who sow in tears

Shall reap in joy.

He who continually goes

Forth weeping,

Bearing seed for sowing,

Shall doubtless come again

With rejoicing

Bringing his sheaves with him (Psalm 126:5-6)







At age 41, I am trying to reinvent myself and follow my passion to write. For years, I've had the responsible job to pay the bills, discounting the possibility that I could make money at something I love. Now I'm hoping for a new life and a new career.

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