Dancing Through the PainPeace Archives — Dancing Through the Pain

Breaking the Silence

Will Henning — Tue, 02 Mar 2021 01:22:10 +0000

To You, Lord, I call;
My rock, do not be deaf to me,
For if You are silent to me,
I will become like those who go down to the pit. Psalm 28:1

Part 1 – Defense Against Despair

It’s been almost a year since my last post. That was certainly not my intent. However, life’s demands, responsibilities, and frustrations all played a part in the silence. While a few have asked about that silence and whether or not I intend to continue to blog (which, Lord willing, is my plan), I seriously doubt that the lack of these blog posts has caused anyone great consternation. Conversely, as David indicates in the passage above, the silence of God is another matter.

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Home Improvement

Will Henning — Wed, 29 Jan 2020 20:10:15 +0000

Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Thessalonians 5:23

As I sit down to write, there are stain and varnish fumes invading the main level of our home and a jackhammer running in the basement in an effort to improve our property. We purchased this house at the end of September. It is now nearing the end of January and despite a significant number of improvements already completed, there is still much work to do. It’s been a long and frustrating process. Repeatedly I find myself anxious and overwhelmed by the long list of repairs, the improvements needed, and the cost to complete them. However, in my frustration, I also see parallels between our house and my soul. More specifically, I’m referring to the vision, the challenges, the cost, and the anxiety associated with any spiritual improvement.

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Celebrating in times of Distress

Will Henning — Thu, 12 Dec 2019 16:43:23 +0000

Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10

During the advent season, many are looking forward to time shared with family and friends, however, others of us may find that this time of year has more challenges than pleasures. Gatherings present various issues for me. The biggest challenge is food. I have to navigate what is available so that I eat enough without getting so sick that I can’t enjoy myself. Clothing is another challenge as I am very sensitive to both fabrics and temperature. What may work one day may not on another. An additional hurdle is a heightened “flight or fight” response. Consequently, my physical response to uncomfortable social situations and personality differences are often exacerbated. While I will enjoy those with whom I celebrate, there are many others that I wish the celebrations would include, but will not; they will be sorely missed. There are also uncertainties in our life making this holiday season less than carefree. I am not alone in any of this as I recognize that many will find it difficult to enjoy the holidays this year due to their own health issues, the rigors of travel, the loss of loved ones, family conflicts, etc. Yet in our trials, we should still seek to experience the peace, hope, and joy that our Savior provides.

With all of the activities of this year, I am already spent so I must admit that I am less than enthused with respect to any more activities that make significant demands of me. However, I realize that celebrating the incarnation of Christ and the time spent with family will have benefits both spiritually and emotionally. I believe our ever gracious Savior understands my weakness and placed Isaiah 41:10 before me in light of the advent season as a reminder of my true source of peace, hope and joy.

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One God and Father

Will Henning — Thu, 25 Jul 2019 19:48:27 +0000

Yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him. 1 Corinthians 8:6

Yesterday was another rough day. I had a dentist appointment, met with my trainer briefly and went to the doctor. Prior to illness taking over my life, working these in around my job and responsibilities at home would have been nothing exceptional. They were minor adjustments to my normal routine. However, yesterday, they wiped me out and left me pretty useless. Some days, the thought of getting out of bed and simple routine tasks such as taking a shower can be daunting and insurmountable. While chronic illness seems to bring with it a regular cycle of pain and fatigue leaving one feeling alone, defeated, and useless, other trials in life like the death of a loved one or a job loss can do the same until they are resolved or the critical stage has passed. In an effort to combat those feelings consider the following passages about God and His perspective.

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Lost on the Pathway to Peace

Will Henning — Fri, 28 Jun 2019 01:27:54 +0000

You will make known to me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; in Your right hand there are pleasures forever. Psalm 16:11

As a rule, being lost causes a fair amount of frustration. Marie and I visited Red Rock Canyon this week. During our excursion we attempted to see pictographs on some of the rocks. Sadly that didn’t happen. The scenic drive through the canyon is a 13 mile one way road and there was a right turn onto a short two way road that we missed. Since we had time, we decided to circle around again. On our second attempt, we successfully made the turn and found the parking area. However, our lack of familiarity with the paths and the absence of a good trail map left us lost and wandering on steep and rocky paths. Out of time and lacking good directions, we gave up our search and returned to our car defeated. For His children, God offers a path to peace. Sadly, we often fail to experience the fullness of tranquility, joy and pleasure that our Savior desires for us because we lose our way. Similar to our excursion to Red Rock Canyon, it’s common for Christians to get lost on the path to peace because of ignorance, distraction or rejection.

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Listen (Part 3) – Reassurance

Will Henning — Fri, 21 Jun 2019 03:35:48 +0000

But he who listens to me shall live securely and will be at ease from the dread of evil. Proverbs 1:33

Reassurance is the act of removing doubts and fears. Most people like reassurances. It comes in many forms. At times it’s the emotional reassurance of having a close relative or friend who walks with us in difficult times. It may be a legal document that spells out our rights or claims to anyone who needs to know. Another example is a simple receipt that we hang on to as proof of sale. All of these and many more offer some form of comfort that allow us to live, work, own, or exchange without fear of being harmed or cheated. However, when it comes to true reassurance, we look to our Sovereign Lord who is the ultimate authority in all matters of faith and life.

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Listen (Part 2) – Discipline

Will Henning — Thu, 13 Jun 2019 11:00:29 +0000

He who neglects discipline despises himself, but he who listens to reproof acquires understanding. Proverbs 15:32

During my recent drive to New England and back, I was rounding a curve in the road using the passing lane. A semi in the right lane put on their turn signal and proceeded to cut me off. I was a bit irritated until a few moments later I saw that there was another vehicle in the breakdown lane. The curve in the road blocked our view until the last moment. The vision of the car seemed to be God’s way of adjusting my attitude about the driving of others. Granted, I was a bit road weary and tired of being cut off by vehicles significantly exceeding the average speed of traffic. However, in this case, I had made assumptions with limited information and errantly responded accordingly.

Discipline, rebuke, correction, constructive criticism, punishment, etc. are words that usually make us uncomfortable because the remind us of our fallibility and sinful nature. Another challenge is that the person seeking to change our behavior is also fallible. Consequently, the nature of our relationship usually determines how well we listen and whether or not we modify our conduct. How we respond will also have an impact on that relationship. The same is true of our bond with our Heavenly Father. When He chooses to discipline us, we need to refrain from judgments about His goodness and love that undermine our relationship as we have very limited information. Rather we ought to accept His guidance gladly by focusing on His motivation, goal and character.

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Contentment Chosen or Abandoned

Will Henning — Fri, 12 Apr 2019 02:23:40 +0000

Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield. For our heart rejoices in Him, because we trust in His holy name. Let Your lovingkindness, O Lord, be upon us, according as we have hoped in You. Psalm 33:20-22

When Marie and I first moved to Chattanooga, we lived on Lookout Mountain. With respect to the greater area, it was known as the place where “old money” lived; that is, those with established wealth resided there. While not everyone was wealthy, there were plenty of large houses and mansions as well as expensive cars. Consequently, when we purchased a home, we chose to move into the valley which not only allowed us to purchase a better home for less money, but also made it easier to be content with what God had provided for us. While I recognized at that time that coveting and the resulting lack of contentment were weaknesses of mine, God has used the various trials of life, especially my illness, to teach me about contentment and that it is, in fact, a choice. When it comes to that choice, there are three options that can cause us to readily abandon contentment: entitlement, anger, and worry.

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Religion or Relationship?

Will Henning — Thu, 14 Mar 2019 19:52:06 +0000

The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him. Romans 8:16-17

As I continue to facilitate another support group, I have the benefit of being reminded of (or in some cases, relearning) past lessons regarding the roll of suffering in faith and in my relationship with God. I’ve been going to church since I was born and I’ve been a Christian most of my life. Much of my childhood was spent being instructed in or listening to the finer points of faith being discussed or debated. As an adult, I’ve participated in many such discussions and led a few. These are the things of religion. While I have had a relationship with God since my youth and recognize periods of significant spiritual growth throughout my life, that relationship has been significantly altered by my illness. In that regard, my suffering has been my greatest blessing in that has matured my faith and pushed me to a deeper relationship with our Lord.

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Foundation of Hope

Will Henning — Thu, 07 Mar 2019 22:25:45 +0000

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13

When I got out of bed this morning it was 10 degrees Fahrenheit. Anyone who knows me understands that I hate winter. Having confessed that fact, God is also working to remove my complaining spirit with respect to cold weather as He has convicted me that the weather is ordained by Him and is one of those things that requires that I trust His wisdom. That said, this time of year I still long for warmer weather and look for indications that it’s coming. The first sign that gives me hope of more agreeable temperatures is the appearance of snowdrops (shown above). They are the very first flowers to blossom and snow does not bother them. My Aunt Margaret was the first to introduce me to them and they have been a staple in my garden since then as they provide the hope of spring and a reminder of the loving relationship that I had with her. The next hopeful sign is the sound of birds chirping in the early morning and the appearance of Robins. Finally, the crocuses and daffodils not only allude to warmer weather but provide color that lifts the spirit. As much happiness as the expectation of spring brings with it, there is no lasting joy or peace as I know that winter will in fact come again. In contrast, my spiritual hope is a different matter altogether as my hope in God brings with it joy and peace.

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