Are you in pain today? Remember these three “R”s from Joni’s pain pal: restrain, remember, and recalibrate. They are a great way to keep your focus on the faithfulness of God in the midst of your suffering!
Friend, if you struggle with pain, listen in: I’ve got great advice.
Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada, and we all have seasons where the vice grip of pain squeezes us tighter than usual. I’ve been in such a season for a while now, but I have been so encouraged by my pain pal, Rika Theron. She has lived for decades with an extremely painful condition called myalgic encephalomyelitis, and she’s pretty much bedridden from it. But Rika doesn’t let it get her down. And so, on days when I feel overwhelmed, I gain courage from her example. But it’s her wise advice that sticks like Velcro to my heart. So, if you’re struggling with pain today, let me pass on her counsel. This is what she wrote me. She says…
“Joni, when it comes to pain, I have 3 ‘R’s that I practice on those scary days when I feel like I’m hitting the wall… they are: restraining, remembering, and recalibrating. [’Cause] Oh, when I am in pain, how my thoughts need restraining! It is so hard not to think ahead, but it is imperative [that] I keep my focus on ‘today.’ The moment I begin to think about tomorrow and the coming days, things become overwhelming. Time and again I return to something John Piper said about fear and anxiety. He was referring to the new mercies described in Lamentations 3, and he said… ‘We will NOT be asked to live tomorrow on today’s strength. The strength to live tomorrow, will be given tomorrow. And it WILL be given. Our task today is not to [reach for the] strength required for tomorrow’s burdens. Our task today is to live by the mercies given for today, and to believe that there WILL be new mercies for tomorrow.’”
Rika goes on to say, “Joni, just knowing that God promises me that tomorrow’s mercies WILL again be perfectly fitted to tomorrow’s pain and challenges… knowing this helps me… focus on today and to rein in those fear-stoking, looking-ahead thoughts. It NEVER fails to comfort and reassure me.”
Then Rika goes on, saying, “It is also crucial for me to remember God’s faithfulness over so many years… His carrying and watching and helping and upholding, ‘every step through this great wilderness…’ as it says in Deuteronomy 2. With each step I’m doing the next thing. And on really hard days? I look back and [I] remember [that’s one of my ‘R’s, I remember] time and again how faithful God’s been to me. So, why would He not be faithful in the future? That truth really helps me. Oh, how that helps. Finally, I try to listen to an encouraging or comforting sermon every evening… before sleeping. God has a way of using that to ‘recalibrate’ my thoughts at the end of the day, so that I don’t go to sleep focused on the struggles of the last 24 hours. What an incredible privilege to be able to listen to the wisdom of wise preachers night after night… and to go to sleep so well-fed. The gospel message I listened to the previous evening also… gives me [then] a good ‘footing’ for the next morning.”
Well, friend, there you have Rika’s 3 “R”s: when you’re in deep pain, restrain your thoughts – don’t let anxiety take control. Next, remember the goodness and the faithfulness of your God; he sustained you in the past, so you have every confidence he’ll be trustworthy in the future. And finally, recalibrate. Don’t go to bed feeling dismal. Instruct your heart in the night by either listening to a sermon, reading the Bible, or a powerful devotional book. Restrain, remember, and recalibrate. That’s good advice from my friend, precious Rika Theron.
© Joni and Friends