Sometimes we have to simply “Play Hurt”. Life’s never going to be all good all the time...
Recently a coworker from school was injured in a random freak accident that nearly lopped off her thumb and left her one digit below the norm. As it turned out, her thumb is still attached, and the biggest drawback is she’s been severely slowed down and is a temporary permanent hitchhiker. Through it all, this teacher hasn’t missed a lick. She’s continued to show up, give it all she’s got, and serve as an example of what it means to “Play Hurt” as my old baseball coach used to insist was necessary sometimes. I reckon we all have experiences where we’ve had to suck it up and “Play Hurt”. Here are a few instances where my old coach’s advice might be needed.
- Playing Hurt Emotionally. Let’s face it – sometimes we get let down, heartbroken, angered, etc. Sometimes this scenario comes at the hands of those we never figured it would come through. Someone does something we didn’t expect they’d ever do. Someone fails to do something we fully expected they would do. Actions get performed, words get said, desires go unmet, and we get hurt. And then what? Can I encourage you to “Play Hurt”? In this day of throw-in-the-towel-because-life-is-hard, it is refreshing to see people who can take the punches of life in stride and keep on going. Sometimes you just have to “Play Hurt” until you heal. It’s kind of what Jesus did after being betrayed, denied, falsely accused, and crucified. He “Played Hurt” and finished the game – and Won!
- Playing Hurt Physically. Like my co-worker from school, sometimes we get physically slowed down, but slow doesn’t have to equal quitting. The recent heart-procedure-gone-wrong I experienced slowed me down for longer than expected. I am having to learn to “Play Hurt”. A dear friend from church recently learned that his back pain is due to nerve damage and isn’t fixable with surgery any longer. He’s learning to “Play Hurt”. My Dad is dealing with lingering effects of chemotherapy. It kept him out of the woods for a while, but he’s getting his itch back to chase deer again. He’s learning to “Play Hurt”. Physical limitations may change our approach to what we do, but they don’t have to eliminate us from participating in what we love to do. “Play Hurt”!
- Playing Hurt Logistically. The landscape of life and all its enjoyments has changed and is changing for us. Whereas we used to have a house and a car full of young ‘uns, it has turned into a team of two around our house. Hunting trips are solo now rather than with my children in tow. Fishing trips are with kids from the school house rather than my kids from my own house. Some friends and loved ones have lost interest in the activities of yesterday, and some friends and loved ones have simply been lost. Life’s logistics change. The meaning of life stays the same. In the midst of changing times, trust the changeless God we have, and learn to “Play Hurt”.
Sometimes we have to simply “Play Hurt”. Life’s never going to be all good all the time. When things go wrong and we get hurt in the myriad of ways we humans can end up getting hurt, I beg you – STAY IN THE GAME! Let’s learn to “Play Hurt”. It’ll make the victories all the sweeter and the effort so much more worthwhile! And one of these days we’ll cross paths in the parking lot of life and compare our battle scars and war wounds while discussing all the wisdom we gained from “Playing Hurt”. Till then, stay in the game, and I’ll see y’all later…in the Great Outdoors!
