Hidden Pain

by David Lins  |  07/24/2022  |  (Being) Catholic Matters

often think one of the most difficult aspects of my back injury is that no one else can see it. It isn’t like my eyes turn red when the pain reaches a certain level. My lumbar doesn’t emit a low-level hum. And I try not to just yell when I’m hurting.

But I have come to realize that I’m not alone. Most people’s worst pains are hidden from the wider world. It might be physical pain that is so bad you understand why the lead character in the television show “House” became addicted to pain killers and was always cranky. It might be psychological pain caused by conflict, struggles, or the aftermath of tragedy. Well, the list could go on and on. The point is that most of the people we interact with on a daily basis are carrying invisible pain to one degree or another.

And when the parish staff is working on a project and some of the ladies are carrying heavier items than I am or when my wife and I are on vacation and she is carrying the big suitcase, I see the looks. I can feel the judgement. And on those days when my back is screaming and I’m a bit less friendly or talkative, I can tell people are wondering why I’m acting differently toward them. They don’t know the pain.

And I need to assume the same with others.

They are fighting battles I cannot see. They are overcoming struggles of which I do not know. To add to the old saying, “until I’ve walked a mile in someone else’s shoes, I’ll never know they are filled with Legos.” (As you know, I have a little daughter, so it just came to mind…)

But there is something I can do—along with all my fellow fighters of invisible wars.

This week’s Psalm says, “Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me. I will give thanks to you, O Lord, with all my heart…” There are two parts there. Calling for help and giving thanks. I have come to believe giving thanks should not always be reserved for when God answers us in the way we would want. Quite the contrary.

The other day, the Lord did not take away my pain. So, I chose to thank the Lord for everything He had blessed me with—a Litany of Gratitude. And the craziest thing happened: my pain seemed to lessen. Imagine that!

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