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Beginning in my early twenties, I started suffering from migraines. They caused piercing pain behind one or both eyes, nausea, dizziness, and sensitivity to light and sound. Not only did migraines force me to miss many days of work over the years, they also caused me to miss holidays, birthdays, graduations, and various other special gatherings and celebrations. As migraines became increasingly debilitating and frequent, discouragement plagued me.

For years, I prayed for God to deliver me from this chronic ailment. Although in the thick of a migraine, when all I could muster was a quiet whisper in between the throbbing pain, I cried out for God’s help. I prayed for healing. I prayed for permanent deliverance from this affliction that had plagued me for years. Each time the migraine passed, I was filled with gratitude. I continued to question why God allowed this malady to continue to smother me. I knew He had the power to heal me, and I had faith that He could, yet I continued to suffer.

I gleaned hope reading the apostle Paul’s reflections on his own “thorn in the flesh.” While the nature of Paul’s ailment is not specified, I could relate to his distress and longing for relief. He pleaded with the Lord three times for his thorn to depart. Although he didn’t receive miraculous deliverance, he recognized receipt of something else of immeasurable value: increased intimacy with Christ. Paul recognized that it was through his weakness that Christ’s power manifested itself most abundantly.

I sought to apply the same understanding to my situation, focusing not on my agony but on God’s goodness and faithfulness. While I continue to pray for permanent deliverance from migraines, I remind myself that God’s grace is enough, and He will continue to strengthen me to endure all things.

No matter how agonizing the thorn in the flesh you face, remain confident that through God, you can endure.