We held our breath when Kerri Strug vaulted. In a moment dripping with unscripted tension, she landed, raised her arms and hopped on one leg winning the gold medal for team USA. When she collapsed in pain, we marveled at her courage, pressing through her pain and performing such a strenuous feat on a severely injured ankle in the face of incredible pressure. Kerri grabbed our hearts and gave us hope.

        To be human means we must deal with pain. No matter its source, pain surfaces at our most inopportune times—not when it is convenient, when we’re prepared for it, or when it won’t interfere with our lives. Pain invades our world, ripping apart our dreams, shattering our life, and endangering our future. Kerri triumphed through that kind of pain. If she could turn the agony of defeat into the thrill of victory, then why can’t we?

        But Kerri’s triumph is merely sport. It’s drama was manufactured by its Olympic showcase. Her tension doesn’t match the agony of being abandoned by a spouse, the loss of a child, the end of a job, the amputation of a limb, the destruction of a tornado, or the realization your cancer is inoperable. Where do we turn when athletic drama fades under the weight of real life’s crushing and inescapable pain?

        Jesus.

        He is able to bless us in our most excruciating pain because he has been there. Jesus knows pain’s bitter bite through the unrelenting sting of experience, not the divine safety of omnipotence. He asks his Father for deliverance and is denied. He is forsaken, betrayed and disowned by his closest friends. He endures the sting of the thorns, the bite of the whip, and the horror of the nails. He suffers the indignity of the spit and ridicule of his enemy. He dies alone with only his courage and faith to help him press through the pain.

        For us, Jesus’ human pain means everything. If you face pain too deep for words, you can look to Jesus. He is the assurance pain’s grip will ultimately be broken. He is the promise you will never be abandoned in your pain. He is the guarantee you will receive grace to not only survive your pain, but to also press on to triumph through it.

        In your pain, don’t give up. There is one who stands at pain’s exit and promises it leads to triumph. He knows the path won’t be easy, so he will not leave your side until you’re safely through. If you listen carefully, you can hear him whisper,  “Press on, dear friend, press on.”

“Because he himself was tested by what he suffered, he is able to help those are being tested. …Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in our time of need.” —Hebrews 2:18; 4:16