Pain and suffering

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 The skin is the largest organ in the body, and it is full of receptors. Skin receptors are nerve endings that detect touch, pressure, vibration, temperature, and pain, allowing the body to sense its environment. The types of receptors are:

Illustration shows a cross section of mammalian skin. The outer epidermis is a thin layer, smooth on the outside, bumpy on the inside. The middle dermis is much thicker than the dermis. Blood, nerve and lymph vessels run along the bottom of it, and smaller capillaries and nerve endings extend to the upper part. One nerve ends in a receptor. Sweat glands extend from the dermis into the epidermis. Hair follicles extend from the base of the dermis to the upper part where they are joined by oil glands. Hairs extend from the follicles, through the epidermis and out of the skin. The hypodermis is a fatty layer beneath the dermis.

Mechanoreceptors
  • Meissner's corpuscles: Detect light touch and changes in texture; found in the dermal papillae, rapidly adapting.
  • Pacinian corpuscles: Sense deep pressure and vibration; located deep in the dermis, they are rapidly adapting.
  • Ruffini endings: Respond to deep pressure and skin stretch; slowly adapting.
  • Merkel cells: Detect sustained light touch, pressure, and texture; they are slowly adapting and found in the epidermis.
  • Hair follicle receptors: Detect hair movement and light touch.
Other receptors
  • Free nerve endings: These are the primary receptors for pain (nociceptors) and temperature (thermoreceptors).
  • Pain receptors (nociceptors): Free nerve endings that respond to damaging or potentially damaging stimuli, alerting the body to injury.
  • Temperature receptors (thermoreceptors):  Free nerve endings that detect changes in temperature, both hot and cold.
Because of my past, I learned to ignore a lot of physical and emotional pain. My physical, emotional, and spiritual receptors don't always work. Physically, I have a VERY high pain threshold. Sometimes this is good, but other times, when the body is sending a signal of physical distress, I ignore it or don't even sense it. No bueno, 

Emotionally, my therapist described me as a pressure cooker full of emotional soup that needs to vent. I know that my emotional numbness sometimes prevents me from hearing God's voice, especially when He is talking to me about me. Spiritually, it means I often feel stuck or extremely slowed down, like a snail moving through molasses in January

Recently, a friend of mine said suffering is a choice. It is where pain+resistance=suffering. This may be true in some circumstances, but it minimizes the role of suffering in the Bible, and we only have suffering if we feel pain.

Suffering can serve several purposes, including discipline, spiritual growth, and a path to greater glory. Suffering is not random; it can stem from one's own poor choices or from being a victim of circumstances in a fallen world. It is also a reality for Christ-followers who may face persecution for their faith, with the hope that suffering for righteousness leads to a deeper relationship with God and a future of eternal life.

Bible verses on suffering often address its purpose in developing character and endurance, as in Romans 5:3-5, and its connection to Christ, as seen in 1 Peter 2:21. Other verses offer comfort, noting God's presence in hard times and his ultimate goal of bringing glory, as in Psalm 34:18, Romans 8:18, and Romans 8:28. 

Our salvation is based upon the suffering of Christ on our behalf. 
As we suffer and endure valleys, we not only spiritually draw closer,
but our understanding of all Christ endures on our behalf becomes
clearer. Pain is a good thing. god is turning the heat up or down
He is increasing the pressure.. He is making us stretch or He is 
causing us pain, telling us to change direction.

Don't get me wrong, I am not a masochist. I don't desire to dwell in pain and suffering, but back in the dark ages, when I was in the honors program at UCLA, we had a course called Freedom and Control. I remember learning that the heights of our joy are the opposite side of the depths of our sorrow. So what does that mean? If there is no real pain, there is no real joy, and I don't know about you, but I desire to live in God's joy.

So embrace your pain and suffering, be thankful that your receptors work. Lean in.

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