The Power of Pain

Piaget says, "Disequilibration is the engine of growth." I fully beleive him. I think the Lord does, too. How often does he use pain to get my attention when he would prefer pleasure. It's an irony that God's desire for us is to find pleasure in him, and when we cease finding pleasure in him, he allows us to find pain in "not him." It is just, but it is odd.
Some of us require different kinds of disequilibration to grow. I think of my friends as I write this. My desire (and most psychologists' philosophy of practice) is for them to not experience pain, but I find myself often knowing that I may have to watch them endure the pain for the sake of their growth. This is easier when I know they're seeking the Lord, because I have confidence that they will respond in time (his or theirs, however that works). I know for other of my friends, the pain will endure for longer. The pain for me is watching them go through the pain without the growth. I say this because our Lord is persistent and desires for us to find pleasure in him; he will not give up. He did not with the first Israel, and he does with the current Israel.