A large kidney stone (Photo via Wikipedia.com)

In my latest Inside Story column, I whined about a painful kidney stone but included this asterisk:

(Quick note to female readers: Yes, I am so grateful that God knew better than to ask my wimpy gender to endure the pain of childbirth.)

That note has prompted some humorous feedback from Christian Chronicle readers.

David Rogers, former longtime minister for the Heritage Church of Christ in Keller, Texas, sent an e-mail with the subject line “Wimpy?”

Rogers wrote:

I recently read a man’s article concerning what he considered to be proof that kidney stone pain trumped childbirth pain. Thought you might like to know. He reasoned that he had met a number of women who had birthed a child, and in most cases, a year or two after birthing a child, the women were known to say, “I believe I’d like to have another one.” However, of all the men, or women, he had known who had endured a kidney stone, he had never met one that said, “I believe I’d like to have another one.” Hmmmmmmm.

Carol A. Ashby sent this e-mail:

As a female who is now waiting for her seventh kidney stone to pass, I assure you, giving child birth is easier.  Not only do you get to take a precious little bundle home, the pain is less. (At least for me.)  I have had two stones that were too large to pass and had to have them crushed.  The one I have now is 4.6 mm and is too high for them to do anything yet. Enjoyed your article.

Joyce Burgess responded:

In reading your article on kidney stone, I noticed you mentioned the quote, “This, too, shall come to pass.” Could you tell me where in Ecclesiastes I  could find this quote. Although you said it is not in these exact words.

I referred her to Ecclesiastes 3, which speaks of “a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.” The King James version even refers to “a time to cast away stones.”