Pain has a way of bringing us into surrender

I had an intense experience this week where I had a speck of dirt stuck under my eyelid and it was scratching my cornea every time my eye or lid moved. It was brutal. Ten out of ten on the pain scale. I didn’t understand what was happening and wasn’t able to get care for about 10 hours. During this time, I was so grateful to have my meditation practice (and the support of my husband). I had no choice but to surrender to the pain. It wasn’t easy. At times I would move into panic, but was mostly able to drop into a place of trust and silence underneath the panic where I could be with what was happening. I’m so grateful that I know this quiet place within. It held me. There is a deep okayness there that allowed me to rest when the pain and not knowing was incredibly challenging. Once the dirt was removed, my eye began to heal itself and the pain dissipated. Pain has a way of bringing us into surrender. If we accept this invitation, we experience the gifts of presence, allowing, and peace that arise there.