I had a cap placed on a tooth located on the right side of my mouth. The days afterwards I found it difficult to bite down on that side of my mouth. It was tender. I purposefully chewed on my left side to avoid the discomfort.
Tiring of the ‘left side only chew’ I made an appointment to revisit my dentist. He made a few bite adjustments. Prior to my leaving the dental assistant said to me, in no uncertain terms, “You NEED to use that side of your mouth. Chew on it. Bite down. Chew. Chew. Chew.” Underlying her comments the implication was I was being a big baby. The cap needed to be used. It would hurt, but over time the hurt will take care of itself.
I left with a resolve to chew on that side. Or, more so, show that dental assistant I was no baby. Although she was not all wrong.
I chewed on that tooth. I purposefully crunched right down on it. It was uncomfortable. It had a bit of a sting. It didn’t seem to be working. I was beginning to think that this was a cruel joke foisted on me by that devious dental assistant.
Then…it happened. The discomfort was gone. The intentional chew had worked. The dental assistant was a genius! Long live the dental assistant.
I was reminded that healing hurts. You have to go through the hurt to get to the healing. Whether it is physical, emotional, spiritual, relational, or mental you have to go through the pain.
The challenge is not to avoid the hurt, but to navigate it. Avoidance may avert the pain, but the healing will not be complete. The hurt has to be seen as part of the process. It is a necessary part of the journey.
Hurting means healing because you have been willing to expose yourself to that which is uncomfortable. It is the discomfort that provides the salve to bring healing to your life.
Here is a reality that must be understood. Once the healing has occurred you may still have scarring. The scar may torment you as a reminder of the pain you endured. Or it can be a badge of healing.
Scars can be physical or emotional. Scars move across all realms of hurt. But a scar is better than an open wound. Each of us must strive to heal in whatever hurt we have experienced. It is in the hurting we find healing. It is in the healing we find strength.
Life was never intended to be without hurt. Hurt is part of your story. Healing is part of your victory.