A new perspective towards pain

Today I read a few pages from this book 'Where is God when it hurts?'

It said that when you have no experience of pain, it rather harder to experience joy.
That is a rather logical. I moved on to read the next few pages.
Is pain the opposite of happiness? I thought so...

Dr Brand. took once had this perspective towards pain. He would illustrate life by drawing a graph with a peak at each end and a trough in the middle. The peak at the left would represent pain and the peak at the right would represent ecstasy.

Now if he is to illustrate life again, he would draw a graph with a single, central peak with a surrounding plain. The peak would be Life with a capital L, the point which pain and pleasure meet. The surrounding plain would be sleep or apathy or death.

On the cellular level, the same nerve sensors that convey messages of pain also carry messages of pleasure. The close relationship between pain and pleasure is true not only in the cellular level but also in many experiences that requires the whole body to work together. Most of the time, the most intense pleasure comes after prolonged struggle. (e.g. running a marathon)

Interesting stuff.
But more importantly I need to appreciate God's intention for letting me experience pain and thank Him for it.