The Problem of Pain

I took Andrew to Pueblo for some Dr. appointments yesterday. His polyps were doing better, but it looked like he was getting a sinus infection at the ENT. Then we went to the allergist and she took his temperature and wondered if I knew that he had a fever of 101. No, I didn't...and did I feel like a horrible parent. Then, they measured his oxygen levels and found that they were quite low. His lowest score for his large air passages is 91% and 76% for his small air passages. Yesterday his large air passages were 71% and small air passages were 45%. No wonder he has been so tired. He is getting no oxygen.

We are pumping him full of lots of medicines, and he is breathing better but still very sick.

One of the hardest things as a parent is to see your children suffer and be helpless to do anything about it. I can cry and rant and rave all I want, but my son still doesn't breathe any better. I can pray for him and find comfort for me and for him, but not rescue him from his predicament.

I heard an interesting story tonight about why we have to suffer. A mother offered her daughter a cup of flour or a raw egg. Of course her daughter thought she was crazy and that it would taste awful. She also balked at the idea of straight butter or vanilla. Yet, all those ingredients put together could make a beautiful and delicious cake.

In life, we have a lot of ugly horrible things happen to us. And we don't enjoy it. Yet, those experiences brought together shape us into the rich, blessed and wise human beings that we need to become. Through our adversity we need to learn to trust that God has a plan for us, and that he knows what we need and turn to him for help.

I find comfort from Nephi's word's in the Book of Mormon, "And I said unto him: I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things." I don't know why suffering occurs but I do know that God loves us, so I will trust in him.