Rumination on an Immunization
Here is something I wrote a while back. The name of the writing has no relation to the name of this blog.
Today, my son, Aiden, received his first round of immunizations; and the problem of pain (as CS Lewis calls it) came to a more robust meaning than ever before. Aiden had no idea what was going to happen to him; nor did he understand when it was happening. He hasn't the capacities necessary for understanding why something hurts the way it does. It is almost too much to bear to watch your son who is smiling and "talking" with his mom and within an instant screaming in pain--a scream not yet heard before. It is truly heartbreaking. What gives a dad hope, however, is that this is the best for my son--in the long-run. And that is what I must keep in mind--the long run. At 11:52am life sucked. My son was in pain and I couldn't tell him why. He couldn't understand. But my love for him compelled me to do what I did. My love for him was bigger than that instant of pain. My ability to understand far outweighs the heart wrenching cries of an infant. And I couldn't help but remember the words of the writer to the Hebrews, "No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful..." (12:11). Christ loves us too much to leave us where we are (and hear I'm borrowing liberally from CS Lewis in Chapter 3 of "The Problem of Pain"). He knows that we are sick (pardon the word "sick" all of you Reformed folks and stay with the analogy--I know we're more than sick; we're dead) and that we are only to get sicker unless something happens to prevent that and sometimes that prevention involves pain and sometimes lots of it (of course, this presupposes that something is wrong with us which needs fixing). And most of the time it seems, we have no idea why in the world what is happening is happening. What we must do is trust. Trust that our Father (Who is infinitely more wise and more powerful than this fallible and feeble one) knows what He is doing. Knows what will happen if he leaves to ourselves. It's paradoxical, I know, but true loves often causes rather than prevents pain (consider the Westminster Confession at V.5!). Why did I allow that stranger to stick my son thrice causing him pain? Because I love him.
Today, my son, Aiden, received his first round of immunizations; and the problem of pain (as CS Lewis calls it) came to a more robust meaning than ever before. Aiden had no idea what was going to happen to him; nor did he understand when it was happening. He hasn't the capacities necessary for understanding why something hurts the way it does. It is almost too much to bear to watch your son who is smiling and "talking" with his mom and within an instant screaming in pain--a scream not yet heard before. It is truly heartbreaking. What gives a dad hope, however, is that this is the best for my son--in the long-run. And that is what I must keep in mind--the long run. At 11:52am life sucked. My son was in pain and I couldn't tell him why. He couldn't understand. But my love for him compelled me to do what I did. My love for him was bigger than that instant of pain. My ability to understand far outweighs the heart wrenching cries of an infant. And I couldn't help but remember the words of the writer to the Hebrews, "No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful..." (12:11). Christ loves us too much to leave us where we are (and hear I'm borrowing liberally from CS Lewis in Chapter 3 of "The Problem of Pain"). He knows that we are sick (pardon the word "sick" all of you Reformed folks and stay with the analogy--I know we're more than sick; we're dead) and that we are only to get sicker unless something happens to prevent that and sometimes that prevention involves pain and sometimes lots of it (of course, this presupposes that something is wrong with us which needs fixing). And most of the time it seems, we have no idea why in the world what is happening is happening. What we must do is trust. Trust that our Father (Who is infinitely more wise and more powerful than this fallible and feeble one) knows what He is doing. Knows what will happen if he leaves to ourselves. It's paradoxical, I know, but true loves often causes rather than prevents pain (consider the Westminster Confession at V.5!). Why did I allow that stranger to stick my son thrice causing him pain? Because I love him.
posted by Josh at 8:38 PM
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