Comfortably Numb

Have you ever noticed how emotions manifest themselves physically as well as, well, emotionally? All the adrenaline, dopamine, hormones and other chemicals are part of the homeostatic mechanisms in our bodies. Everything in our body occurs as part of a chemical process...isn't that interesting? People try to alter these natural processes with other chemicals (illicit drugs) or through other physical activities. The heroin.org website says that "pain, itself, elicits pain relief, and does so through 'reward' pathway." This pleasure system of pain may explain some things, but still... Alcoholics, though their lives are chaos when sober, drown their sorrows and pain, only temporarily. Though we would like to think we can rid ourselves of this anguish, sadness, and pain more permanently, it will never happen in this life. Part of being mortal is passing through bitterness to recognize happiness, learning lessons from the trials through which we pass. Having hope helps, but I don't think it is enough. Faith helps, but I don't think it is enough either, even when combined with hope. God doesn't delight in inflicting pain on His children, does He? He isn't sadistic, but loving and caring, right? He permits horrible events to transpire to innocent people, simply to teach a lesson? How is that showing compassion on His children? Where is the mercy in genocide? Where is the love in war? Did God delight in taking my mother away from us? For most of us, life is a struggle, a fight, but what are we fighting to win? The chance to be in Heaven? What is Heaven without the ones you love? What is the prize with no one there with whom to share it? Dinners alone are dreary and depressing. Dinners with loved ones are feasts.