"Remember God Cares"
-Mark Lane

Mat 5:4 "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 

Whatever our pain might be, we need to remember three things: 
God understands. 
God cares. 
God can bring us through it and even make something beautiful out of it.

    God empathizes with our pain. His own Son, Jesus -- Who is God -- suffered grief. I think readily of one example. 

John 11:33-35 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. 
34 He said, "Where have you laid him?" They said to him, "Lord, come and see." 
35 Jesus began to weep. So the Jews said, "See how he loved him!" Of all people, Jesus certainly knew about Heaven. He knew that Lazarus wasn't suffering. But he also knew that it hurt, to lose him. Even though we know someone is suffering less, or something is for the best, God doesn't expect us to just act like nothing has happened, or say "Well He is with Jesus praise God," and go happily on our way. It is wonderful to keep an eternal perspective. However, God has built grief into us as a normal emotion, and we need to allow ourselves to feel it and work through it. 

God cares about our pain. He knows everything, including our emotions, but He wants to hear from us.

Psalms 62:8 (NRSV) Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. He wants us to pour out our hearts to Him. He wants to hear our hurts. He isn't an aloof God who distances Himself from what we are going through. He is a loving God, a Shepherd, a Father. Those of you who are parents -- think about how you feel for your children when they are grieving, over a friend who has moved, beloved pet who has been killed. And our Heavenly Father loves us even more than we love our children. Imagine how much more than that even, He cares for us in our griefs! 

But the ultimate perspective we have does need to be eternal, as well as God's glory and purpose even now. Eventually the pain will subside. Usually it goes away completely, here on Earth. And we often find God has taught us valuable lessons from it. I think of two valuable insights I have gained through pains .
I have encountered: 
         I can now better understand other's pain. When we are hurting, and afterwards, we need to ask God to use this for His glory and to help his other children. 

Cor 1:4 (NIV) who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.

Rom 8:28 (NIV) And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 

I cherish now the relationships that I have. I realize how short life can be, and that we need to tell people now how much we appreciate them. We need to take time for the family and friends God has blessed us with.