Through my once-a-month battle with God’s curse on women,
the Lord has brought me to a greater understanding of his truth, grace, and
love. While I understand this is not the most conventional or comfortable topic
to read about, – I can just feel some of you feeling so awkward as you read
this – let not your hearts be troubled because I am not going into details of
anything about menstrual cycles (it’s a weird word – I know). Even I, as a
female, can say that periods are strange and gross. Mostly what this blog will
be about is what I have learned from dealing with the monthly pain.
Attention: From now on, I will be referring to “periods” as
“surprises” for the sake of the brave men reading this post.
To women reading this:
I hope this brings you encouragement, understanding and clarity
on why the heck this is happening to your body once a month.
To men reading this:
I know you feel a little uncomfortable reading this, but I’m
proud of you for even making it to this point. Although you do not directly
experience this, you indirectly experience it from being around your sister,
mom, friend, and/or girlfriend during their surprises. In addition, you may or
may not be united as one with a pretty lady someday who will have to go through
this once a month for a substantial amount of years, so it might be beneficial
to you to somewhat understand this mystery. Bear with me. It’s going to be
okay. I really do think you will find this interesting.
The majority of my close friends and family know that I got
the short end of the stick when it comes to God’s curse on women. Without going
into too much detail, the second day of my surprise is always horrible. I break out into cold chills, get weak and
faint, and then cannot do anything but lie down and wait for the stomach pain
to go away. It’s not like it works around my schedule either. The second-day
process I just explained has started on the first day of my new job, while I
was out shopping, and multiple times while I was in class. There is nothing quite
like lying on the cold tile floor of a Texas Tech bathroom stall. Every time
this happens I ask God what his purpose behind this is. It is sometimes asked
with bitterness and anger (I’ve been learning to be honest with him about
that), but mostly I really just want to understand his purpose behind allowing
this to happen to me. Here are a few things my Father has taught me through it:
1. God’s Sacrificial Love
One of the ways I have experienced my
Father’s gentle love for me is through how my boyfriend, Josh, takes care of me
through this. Last Christmas break Josh came to visit me in my hometown, and we
were at Target when my second-day surprise process started (Target is not the
most ideal place to get sick). He ended up having to drive my 1998 black
Mustang back to my house, and when I got to the front door, I laid down in the
fetal position until he opened it. I remember thinking, “He probably has no
clue what is going on and thinks I’m being overdramatic, but I literally do not
care right now.” I think later that day he told me he was thinking something
along the lines of “I have no clue what’s going on right now. Is she dying?” Anyway,
I praise God for how understanding and caring he was that day. It showed me a
picture of the patient, loving kindness of Christ. Josh has endured this with
me enough times to where we basically have a routine for it. He will always
drop what he is doing, come pick me up, carry me up the stairs of my apartment,
lay me down in my bed, and get me whatever I need. Every time he carries me,
while I lie limp in pain and helpless in his arms, I am reminded of how Christ sacrificial
love. It beautifully depicts how love is patient, kind and not self-seeking (1
Corinthians 13:4-5). Christ laid down everything for me and pulled me out of a
hopeless place and into his loving embrace.
What the Lord has graciously shown me
through Josh is only a mere glimpse of what is to come. Someday my flesh will
fade away, and my Father will carry me away from all the pain and suffering of
this world and into the heavens, the place of true rest, where my soul calls
home. O, how vast and deep and great is the Father’s love for His children!
“In this the love of God was made manifest
among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live
through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us
and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:9-10, ESV).
2. Our Affliction is Short
“For this light momentary affliction is
preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison (2
Corinthians 4:17, ESV).” In other words,
all physical and emotional pain will be but a shadow in comparison to the glory
that is to come for those who love God. The surprise I go through once a month
is one of the many thorns in my sides that humbles me and reminds me of my
desperation and co-dependence on the One who created and saved me. It has
taught me to put my hope in what is unseen rather that what is seen (2
Corinthians 4:18).
Stop for a minute and take a look around
you. Everything you see now and every day of your life is temporal, including
the eyes you are reading this with and the body your eyes are attached to. May
your hope be set on what is eternal and not on the perishing things of this
world!
3. Not in the Original Game Plan
The most recent thing the Spirit has taught
me is that it is not the way God originally designed it. This curse is a result
of sin entering the world in Genesis 3 when Eve ate the fruit she was commanded
not to eat. But I’m not mad at Eve, I have just as much bloodguilt on my hands
as she did.
All of creation was created, and God saw that
it was good. Psalm 34:8 says that God is good, so it was designed to worship
and reflect his goodness. However, when sin entered the world, it did not just
distance us from God, but infected all of creation. Everything, which was
intended to be good, is now shattered and crying out for restoration. The bible
is not super specific on what this means, but I interpret it to mean the trees are
not as green or as lovely as they once were; the water is not as clear and pure
as it was meant to be; the animals and insects have inherited vicious behaviors.
The glorious melody the earth once sang in perfect harmony to praise its
Creator now sounds something like a gargantuan group of toddlers all trying to
play different instruments.
Man and woman were made in the
image of God, formed by the massive, holy hand of the King, purposed to mirror
his awesome glory, but when sin came into the picture, that mirror was dropped
off the empire state building and fractured into millions of tiny pieces.
Because of this, God multiplied women’s pain in child bearing (Genesis 3:16).
Romans 8:22 says together all of
creation is groaning in the pains of childbirth. So once a month, my body is
literally groaning for restoration – to be as it was intended to be. As my body
groans, so too does the natural earth in the form of earthquakes, tsunamis,
hurricanes, etc. The earth longs to be as it once was. All of creation is
groaning together in the pains of childbirth awaiting the coming (or the birth)
of the new earth and new heavens.
“For behold, I
create new heavens
and a new earth,
and the former
things shall not be remembered
or come to mind.”
-Isaiah 65:17
4. Clean By His Blood
When women in the Old Testament
had their menstruation, they, and everything they touched, would be considered
unclean. However, by Jesus’ blood we have been purified (1 Corinthians 6:11),
so now even in our blood women who fear God and believe in Jesus can proclaim with
authority “we are clean!” Praise God that I am now clothed in righteousness
because of his grace!
5. Pain and Suffering is Real
I really dislike the phrase
“well, it could be worse – be thankful for what you have.” While this is true,
it could be worse, and you should be thankful for what you have, that does not
mean the pain I, or anyone has, does not still hurt. The phrase leaves a
bitter, unsettling taste in my mouth that does not lead me to find my hope and
comfort in Jesus. It makes me feel like I am being overdramatic and that my pain
is completely insignificant in comparison to others’ pain.
2 Corinthians 1:4 says God
comforts in all afflictions – not just persecution or deadly diseases, but in
ALL afflictions. My brothers and sisters let us put to death the lie that our
big God does not care about our small problems. He loves when his children will
just cry out honestly to him.
God does not desire to tear his
children down by saying “what are you making such a big deal about? It could be
worse.” That is what the enemy and our flesh does. God is in the business of
healing and building up his beloved (his church).
“And after you have suffered a
little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in
Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you (1 Peter
5:10, ESV).
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