1691) There are times when the pain of this life is overwhelming. A day that started out as ordinary will, within a blink of an eye, turn your world upside down. When this happens, you might feel like someone has punched you in the gut and taken all your breath away.

As the situation plays out, you can feel like a dying leaf being tossed and blown by the wind. The pain is so great, you may instinctively bounce up and down on your toes, trying desperately to rid your body of so much pain.

What do you do when life betrays you and dishes out a meal you didn’t ask for? Do you pretend it isn’t sitting before you? Do you try to push the plate away? Do you give your subconscious the reins, making it easy to spew your extreme feelings on anyone who is nearby? Are these the only options? John 11:34 reveals there is something else we can do in times like these.

John 11 is a familiar passage. It reveals the death of Lazarus and Jesus’ subsequent raising of him from the dead.

Here we read of the agonizing pain of Lazarus’ sisters, Mary and Martha. Not only did their beloved brother die, they had also sent for Jesus, who they knew could help, and he doesn’t show up in time.

What do you do when circumstances break your heart and no one who can help you shows up? John 11:34 reveals the answer. Here, Mary cries out to Jesus, who arrives at least four days too late, telling him of Lazarus’ death. Jesus looks at her tears and says, Where have you laid him? In other words, Jesus says, Show Me Your Pain.

When we are amid suffering beyond anything we have experienced before, there is healing when we show God our pain. Bring it to him. Tell him all about it. Be warned, though, you must be brave in doing this because in the telling, you have to re-experience the hurt and desperation. Yet, in this telling, you build intimacy with your savior, which spurs a healing that only God can do.

Are you brave enough to show God your pain?