“I dedicate my arthritis including the disability, chronic pain and upcoming surgery to you, oh Lord. I wish to reflect well on your kindness, patience, loving behavior and peace as I suffer with this condition. May your will be done about my energy level and mobility. Show me your path for me, and grant me the graces necessary to display Christ-like behavior to others.”

I wrote this about four months ago as I faced spinal fusion (Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion on L4-L5, to be specific). While my back has been healing well, chronic pain developed in my feet. It turns out that tight muscles in your calf can cause an unstable and very painful midfoot condition called metatarsalia.

I knew I had lots of arthritis when I agreed to the surgery. It’s in my hands, my neck, other places in my back, my knees, and evidently my feet. I dedicated my behavior with chronic pain to serving God. But I don’t think I realized how chronic the pain would be … making me unable to walk at all without orthotics, causing me to consider using the family wheelchair.

This experience has taught me to practice the presence of God in chronic pain. To do that, I have had to continually overcome other effects of chronic pain:

• The continual hunt for help onIine.
• The search for shoes that don’t hurt. (I now get two emails a day from OrthoFoot.)
• Frantic purchases of items for at-home care. (I now have a massage gun and have ordered a kit for cupping my legs.)
• The presence of “massage, stretch and ice” on my to-do list (three times a day).

Will this go away? I don’t know. Will God go away? Never.

I had to slow down, to take one task at a time. But the way I practice the presence of God remains constant.

Five Steps to Practicing the Presence of God

• Do the next right thing on the task list.
• Do it mindfully, paying attention to the work as it progresses.
• Invite God into the situation.
• Love the people in front of you.
• Be grateful for as many things as possible while doing the task.

I am grateful that I learned this practice in other hard times, because it automatically transfer to my chronic pain. I hope that you can try it as well if you are suffering.