EASING
A CHILD’S PAIN

Topics: Comfort; Compassion; Empathy; Encouragement; Love; Pain; Pastors; Presence; Support

References: Psalm 46; Galatians 6:2; 1 Thessalonians 2:7–12; Hebrews 13:3

In June 2001, my son Jordan and I were working on our driveway, using a chisel and hammer to remove old asphalt and then patching it with new asphalt. We were both tired, so our accuracy declined. At one point Jordan pounded his finger with a hammer. He jumped up in agony, holding back tears as he ran for ice. I realized no one was in the house to help him, so I ran after him.

As soon as I got near the house, I heard him screaming in pain. I tried to calm him down and get some ice on the tender spot, but he was in too much pain to settle down. He hated icing down a wound as much as the pain of the wound itself. Finally, I put some ice in a bowl and filled it with water. He agreed to put his hand in the bowl as long as I would put my hand in the bowl also. So we sat there on the cold tile kitchen floor with both of our hands in the ice water.

Occasionally we would take our hands out to let the feeling return. After ten minutes Jordan started to feel better. “I’m glad you’re here,” he said.

I was reminded that as a pastor or even a father, I can seldom take the pain away, but my presence can somehow make it more tolerable.

—Jim Johnson, Longview, Texas