Chronicones: Living with Pain - Looking for Hope

By Cornelius W. May

Pain. It is experienced by everyone at one time or another. Young or old, pain afflicts; pain hurts. Pain is universal and without prejudice.
All kinds of attempts have been made to eliminate this pillager of comfort. In spite of all of the medical advancements and mystical applications, quite often pain remains. It can evolve into new manifestations without warning. Pain can become chronic.
I know firsthand. I’m a chronic one.
Whether your pain is physical or relational, emotional or spiritual, these short but inspiring devotions written from experience will provide new avenues for navigating your journey of suffering.
If you are searching for hope in the midst of pain, ChronicOnes is written for you. Open this book and settle in. I will meet you there.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Nov 11, 2016
• ISBN: 9781512752786

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Copyright © 2016 Cornelius W. May.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means,

graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by

any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author

except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1979, 1980,

1982 by Thomas Nelson, inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

All Scripture quotations in this publications are from The Message.

Copyright (c) by Eugene H. Peterson 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000,

2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

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Cover Art by: Jo-Ann Dontenville-Ranallo

ISBN: 978-1-5127-5279-3 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-5280-9 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-5278-6 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2016912859

WestBow Press rev. date: 11/11/2016

TRIBUTES

Chronic pain has become a part of my life in the last year. With

the help of Dr. May’s new book, ChronicOnes, I have been given

a great advantage in dealing with it. I have recommended his

pain group to all of my readers. We are all grateful for his insight,

wisdom, and willingness to birth this new twelve-step group,

allowing those who suffer with pain to find hope and healing …

—Sandra Lee, Publisher of The Woman’s Journal

In ChronicOnes, Dr. May leads us on an excursion through

the many faces of pain. Through rich image and metaphor,

he deepens our understanding of human suffering. More

importantly, he offers hope and strength to the suffering

in ways that allow them to live meaningfully again.

—Dr. Michael Mahoney, Gates Ministry

Finally someone addresses real-life issues of pain often

overlooked in our fast-paced, impersonal society and in

the church as well. ChronicOnes is a relevant, sensitive, and

hope-inspiring manuscript that is a must read for anyone

dealing with chronic pain or living with those who are.

—Reverend Kathie Kuhn, Dean of Hosanna Bible Training Center

In his book, ChronicOnes, Cornelius (Neal) May does more than

point the way through chronic pain. He leads with the wisdom

and empathy of a true wounded healer. Always pointing to Christ,

Neal provides the reader with a well-marked path for the journey.

—Dr. Terry Wardle, Professor of Spiritual

Formation with Healing Care Ministries

In the current age, many Christians have wrongly believed that

faithful people will always be protected from physical pain

and suffering. But what happens when one experiences pain or

suffering that cannot be cured by modern medicine and is not

miraculously taken away by God? ChronicOnes provides those

who suffer from chronic pain a thoughtful, compassionate, and

biblical approach to living well under such circumstances.

—Jane Hoyt-Oliver, PhD, Professor of Social Work, Malone University

There is only one place that pain and suffering does not exist.

This book, ChronicOnes, helps you experience some of that

relief while you are here on earth. It’s a great companion and

guide for people who live daily with diagnosed distress.

—Samuel W. Samuel, MD, Associate Fellowship Director,

Pain Medicine Fellowship, Cleveland Clinic

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CONTENTS

Foreword: Our Lives in Pain (Dr. John A. Marino III)

Acknowledgments

How to Use This Book

Introduction: Pain, Pain, Go Away …

Jesus, the Suffering Servant

Day One—The Medical Maze

Day Two—Fight from the Front

Day Three—Misery Loves Company

Day Four—Pane of Pain

Day Five—Lean In, Not Out

Day Six—Honoring the Symptoms

Day Seven—Sacred Symbols

Day Eight—Who’s Holding Your Net?

Day Nine—Friends: The Best Medicine

Day Ten—A Pai n in the But …

Day Eleven—A Hard Pill to Swallow

Day Twelve—Mind Your Matters

Day Thirteen—How Are You?

Day Fourteen—Dis-ease

Day Fifteen—Call Me in the Morning

Day Sixteen—The New Normal

Day Seventeen—It’s Not Fair

Day Eighteen—Deadly Emotions

Day Nineteen—Take up Your Cross

Day Twenty—Enduring the Pain

Day Twenty-One—Healing the Soul

Day Twenty-Two—I Want My Mom

Day Twenty-Three—Directing the Human Will

Day Twenty-Four—Steps to Relief

Day Twenty-Five—Food for Thought

Day Twenty-Six—I Believe; Help My Unbelief

Day Twenty-Seven—Standing in the Storms

Day Twenty-Eight—Strengthened by Prayer

Day Twenty-Nine—What, Me Worry?

Day Thirty—Oh, the Places You’ll Go!

Conclusion: He Knows My Name

Excursus: X Marks the Spot

Appendix: Scripture References

Selected Bibliography

FOREWORD

OUR LIVES IN PAIN

Pain is necessary for survival. When a hot stove is touched, within milliseconds, special sensors in the skin send impulses through nerves to the brain. In the brain, the electrical impulses become translated through a special pain center that then transmits additional impulses back to the hand, causing it to retract from the burning surface. Without this complex series of events, serious and permanent injury would occur.

Fortunately, the nervous system is fully developed at the time of birth to recognize and respond to painful stimuli in a regulated manner. This does not change significantly over a lifetime. As one matures and adapts to the environment, short-lived experiences occur less frequently. One quickly learns what things can be safely touched and what things must be avoided.

Unfortunately, as some people mature, they fail to curtail those things proven to cause harm, such as using tobacco or driving without a seatbelt. Others suffer injury because of a poorly functioning nervous system due to maldevelopment or disease.

For example, in some cases of diabetes mellitus, nerves lose the ability to send signals (neuropathy). Therefore, people with diabetes who have neuropathy have lost the ability to sense feeling in many areas of their bodies, most notably the limbs. I can recall a man with severe diabetes and neuropathy who fell asleep with his legs in a gas oven while trying to keep warm on a cold winter night. Not being able to sense pain, he suffered severe burn injuries that necessitated the amputation of both limbs.

Pain during our lifetime is not always as simple as touching a hot surface. The types of pain and the responses to them vary markedly from person to person. Those described as stoic never seem to be in pain, yet others appear to be more sensitive to pain.

Perhaps the diversity in response to pain has much to do with how our individual brains interpret and modulate noxious events. Indian Kataragama firewalkers are able to walk barefoot over one hundred feet of burning coals as though they are strolling down a city sidewalk. Others, the untrained, immediately jump off the fiery embers while wearing leather boots. The firewalkers sense the pain similar to the untrained but are able to suppress the perception of it.

It is known that racial and ethnic groups differ in their tolerance and response to pain. African Americans have a very high threshold for pain while individuals that speak Romance languages, such as Italians, do not.

Nonetheless, even to the most stoic person, some painful life experiences can be difficult to bear, such as living with cancer or the aftermath of a stroke. There is also anguish from the death of a spouse or immediate family member or even the demise of other close relationships. This type of pain may never dissipate over a lifetime, no matter the cultural influence or an individual’s ability to cope.

Pain of prolonged duration can have a profound impact on the psyche as well as physical well-being. Chronic pain is extraordinarily stressful. Over time, extreme stress can dampen immune defenses against bacterial or viral invaders and allow breakdown within our bodies. Heart disease and cancer are prime examples of such internal breakdown.

To address pain, medical science arrests it by means that dull the perception of pain. Painkillers and sedatives have become an integral part of our Western culture. However, the problem of dealing with chronic pain continues unabated.

Dr. May, in this volume, addresses the issue of pain in an entirely unique and healthy perspective. His writings will help those in pain to develop necessary skills to live a more fruitful and creative life. This book provides hope through a deeper understanding of pain and how to use it to discover meaning and experience personal growth.

John A. Marino III, MD

Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine

Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Most often people think of writers sequestered alone somewhere, like a mountain cabin, penning their thoughts amidst the inspirations of their serene surroundings. Truth be told, I feel many books are written in the rapid pace of everyday life. Not that I recommend that, by the way.

A friend reminds me that writing is hard work. Finding place and time is an unending ordeal. No wonder written works have a page for acknowledgments. Seldom is a manuscript done individually. Much help is needed along the way to completion.

To my church family, thank you for your support in all my endeavors to impact the Kingdom, especially reaching out to those who hurt.

In order to get my hours of solitude, someone had to pick up the slack and fill in the void. Thank you all who enabled me quiet time for this endeavor. You are esteemed and admired.

Dear Sophia, your encouragement is endless, your dedication untiring. May the Lord strengthen you and bless you, touching all the works of your hands.

Fellow sufferers, your example of endurance in trial is an inspiration to us all. You have motivated me to higher and better things through the journey of pain. Hang in there. May God be with you.

To Merilee, a standing ovation for your recurring thoughtfulness that steered my writings with punctual clarity and emphatic directness. You are indeed a valued contributor to my life.

For the many readers who have offered reflections time and again,

I extend this greeting: You were my sounding board. Divine favor, I pray, rewards you always.

To Joe, a big thank-you for your design work. Your patient approach to creative images and presentation of the same is indeed the eye of an artist, whether behind a brush and an easel or a screen with a mouse.

For my wife, Jan, co-facilitator, listener, typist, and upholder, blessings upon blessings for your sacrificial efforts. You are remembered and never forgotten.

To God be the glory.

HOW TO USE THIS BOOK

As one who travels through life with consistent pain, I am well aware of the rationed distribution of limited courage to various matters. By reading ChronicOnes, I trust you will find hope and strength to persevere through the hurt and suffering you sometimes will encounter on the path of life’s journey. Hope is a crucial response to these conditions, especially when you or I do not understand the whys and whats of it all.

ChronicOnes is designed to take you, a possible chronic pain sufferer, through a daily reading, a short prayer, and a chance to record some personal musings. You may read at your own pace, but one devotion per day is recommended. You may also read in any order you select. For instance, if a specific title catches your interest, then by all means, jump ahead or simply follow the suggested sequence.

At the end of each devotion is a Prayer of Release. These are inspired words to be read aloud. Please find a comfortable position of your choosing, such as kneeling, standing, or sitting. Now pray the prayer provided, or follow the sense deep within and utter your own. Be open. Be expectant. God does answer prayer.

Also provided is a template, to journal your reflections, titled Pause to Remember. Note-taking provides opportunity to record inspired insights gained along the way. A special format is added to list any action steps you may want to implement. You may go back and reread your journal entries on any given day.

Your adventure unfolds. Miracles do happen. Let’s begin.

INTRODUCTION

PAIN, PAIN, GO AWAY …

Pain. Everyone, sooner or later, will experience its haunting presence. Each of us will be a victim of this terrible pursuer. It is part of the human condition.

Pain has no prejudice. People of every age, ethnicity, gender, occupation, orientation, and ability will experience pain. For you, it may be only for a moment, or it may last a season. For some of us, pain is chronic and rears its ugly head again and again. Thus, the title. Pain may seem like it will last forever. Even with modern medical advancements, being pain free is more of a dream, a hope maybe, but it seems fleeting in the face of old age.

Pain is real. It hurts. It makes us intolerant and impatient. We get jealous of others who enjoy living pain free. Even angry. But pain will ultimately find us all. No one escapes the planet without an encounter. No amount of denial or ignoring will make this phenomenon diminish its relentless barrage upon unsuspecting people.

Medical missionary Dr. Albert Schweitzer wrote, "Pain is a more terrible lord of mankind