I had lunch with a friend the other day. He recently moved his family to the DFW area for a new job. A few weeks ago, though, he found out they were letting him go. He’d signed papers on a new home one week before that. Ouch. So now he’s stuck in Dallas, away from the support of family, with a large mortgage weighing him down.
I helped him find another job when I found out. Seemed like a great fit. Great pay. Exactly what he wanted to do. At lunch I found out that fell through too. So my friend was pouring his heart out to me at while we chomped on sandwiches.
I’m empathetic, but I’m not sure I was the best company for him that day. Because when I heard his story, I actually got excited for him. Excited for his pain.
I’ve found that pain and our response to pain are the biggest indicators of success in life. The most successful people in the world have gone through some of the most pain. They’ve been fired. Gone bankrupt. Had great losses. But their proper response to pain, and hopefully their trust in God, have given them the foundations for success in their life.
Because they’ve experienced true pain, little irritations or setbacks don’t keep them from pursuing their dreams. Because they’ve experienced true pain, they can relate with and help others going through the same thing. And oh, the lessons you learn through those moments of pain. They’re impossible to learn in the good times of our lives.
So I got excited for my friend because I saw a glorious future in store for him – if he decides to respond well. That means trusting God and being faithful. Because when you respond that way, pain is a very good thing.
Pain makes better art. And pain makes a better life.