Courage and Pain (Graces and Mercies)


He looked beneath his shirt today
There was a wound in his flesh so deep and wide
From the wound a lovely flower grew
From somewhere deep inside

This song has been running through my head lately.  Usually, I remember songs based on melodies, or musical hooks.  This one keeps coming back to me because of the lyrics.

She said the wound would give him courage and pain
The kind of pain that you can’t hide
From the wound a lovely flower grew
From somewhere deep inside

Courage and pain?  Eeehhh, the first one’s OK, but I think I’ll pass on the second item.

Yet, can we have one without the other?  I’m going to venture that, without experiencing some quantity of pain, true courage can’t exist.  Also, as pain increases, so does the room for courage.  God uses pain and suffering to strip away the selfish parts that would keep us from hurting for others the way He does.  I wish that there was an easier way, but ultimately it’s our own fault.  We spend years developing emotional callouses, cocooning our lives in convenience and comfort.

That’s where my thoughts have been lately.  Right now, God is allowing me to rest and recover from the last year.  I’ve got some time to process through the events; lately I’ve been avoiding doing just that, opting instead to mentally escape.  But, at some point, I will be given the choice: run away from or run into the burning building.  Engage a situation with the courage the Lord has given me over the last season, knowing that it will touch parts of my heart that are still very sensitive, or withdraw and stay safe.

PS.  Bonus points to the first person to post the title & singer of the above song without using Google.

  1. #1 by Brant Skogrand on July 9th, 2009

    For the bonus points: “Lazarus Heart” by Sting.

  2. #2 by Karin on July 20th, 2009

    I have been thinking about the wound and the flower idea…this would make a really cool tatoo!

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