what's your pain?

I'm taking a break from the administrivia that is part of my job. I'm currently experiencing one of the many headaches I get. While the vast majority are not anywhere near migraine level, they tend to be in the least bothersome, and at most painful. They are a distraction, and certainly make it difficult for me to concentrate and focus at times. But I've learned to live them. I've gotten them all of my life. I've prayed for God to take them away. Guess what. He hasn't. But on a couple of occassions, one of my kids has prayed that He would at least heal them in the moment. And He has. Pretty wild. Why am I sharing this with you? Like I said, I needed a break from some admin. But the fact that I have to deal with and live with headaches brings up an interesting question: what does all of this say about who God is? Is He cruel and sadistic? Is He sympathetic? We all experience pain in our lives - it's just the when and where of it that essentially makes us different. What's your pain? What are you praying to God about, asking Him to take away? Has God removed your pain? Has He spoken words of comfort to you in the mean time? Not me. At least not directly. I guess in some way, I know He's not the source of it, nor is He merely sitting back laughing about it. If I truly thought that, I couldn't be who I am. But I do believe He knows about it, and for whatever reasons, my experiencing headaches are, for at least the foreseeable future, are part of His plan for me. Maybe they make me gentler, more compassionate? Then again, maybe not. But whatever His reasons, I believe God is good. All the time. How about you? What's your pain? Do you believe God cares?