ProPAIN

A few weeks ago, I took my 13 year old son to the Philadelphia Eagles v. Tennessee Titans game. Going to one game each year has become a family tradition. Bonus: they won that game by 25 points!

Part of the enjoyment of this father-son outing is the tailgating experience. This year, I was excited to kick it up a notch and prepare steak, eggs & bacon for breakfast and burgers for lunch. The day before, I packed the trunk with everything I would need to pull off a proper tailgate the next morning: Propane griddle, check. Cooler, check. Table, chairs, utensils, drinks. Check.

As we arrived at the parking lot, the smoke from hundreds of grills was rising, the cornhole bags were flying and we finally found a parking spot. As we unloaded the packed items, I came to a disheartening realization: I had forgotten to pack a very essential item--the propane tank. Without the fuel source, my griddle was useless. My steak and eggs would remain cold, our stomachs would remain empty. Pro-pain, indeed.

Thankfully, a few, kind fellow Eagles fans (don't believe everything you hear about Eagles fans:) gave us one of their an extra tanks to use. In no time, the eggs and bacon were sizzling and my hunger and embarrassment had abated.

As I reflected on that morning, I thought about a few key lessons in how to get better at working through the PAIN, because (unfortunately) we all experience pain. What do we do when we're disappointed, embarrassed or even angry when things have not gone according to plan? How do we respond? I think there are a few ways we can get better at dealing with our pain that give us a better chance at experiencing something good on the other side.

P - Problem Identification. What's the problem? It's important to state and correctly identify the issue. The problem was the missing fuel. But it was also hunger and a very real possibility that my vision for a father-son outing was about to look very different. When I realized my error ("I forgot the propane tank"), I had to confess it. Confessing the truth, even when it hurts, is always the first step to solving the problem. This isn't a novel thought, but naming our problem is the first step in solving our problem.

A - Ask for help. Walking over to my fellow fans wasn't easy. I was in need and it took humility to ask for assistance. It's not fun being vulnerable in that way, but you'd be surprised to see who's ready and willing to help you. There are good people in the world who want to help. We just need to be humble enough to ask.

I - Ignite the flame. Start cooking! Don't dwell on your mistakes in the past. Make the most of the opportunity in front of you!

N - Notice. Notice the taste. Notice the smells and smiles. Notice it all. Take notes on your progress, your resourcefulness, your resolve, your humility and your humanity. Notice your imperfections and the people who were gentle with those imperfections and offered help or grace. Often, after we ignite the flame and start cooking, we simply move on to the next problem to solve (because there absolutely will be another problem to solve). But, if we take the time to notice, we'll gain wisdom and insight to be more prepared for next time.

As you experience problems and pain in the coming year, it's my hope that you'll get a little better with each mountain you climb and each valley you cross!