Lately I've been dealing with quite a bit more pain than I'm used to. I have a pretty high pain tolerance and I don't get sick often, so this new level of hurt—that I chose—is discombobulating. It's like the pain is sucking me into a vortex of hopelessness and despair. The more it hurts, the more energy it sucks. The more energy I spend on hurting, the less energy I have for other people.
It's making me realize that when people are generally self-centered and inconsiderate, that maybe it's not just a sin problem. Maybe it's a pain problem.
Even though I really want to be focused on loving others well, it takes everything I've got to move my attention from my hurt to the needs and desires of other people, and sometimes I just can't do that. For those who've been in pain their whole lives, how can I judge their self-centeredness?

Photo cred: Jez Timms
Yesssssss. So sorry you’re in pain.