Utter Foolishness, Part 2

I can't let this thing go. I was doing another study technique, which is to look at the passages in different versions, because the way we translate things brings out different aspects of what is being said. In the Contemporary English version (CEV), the passage about the thorn has a different flavor.

"Of course, I am now referring to the wonderful things I saw. One of Satan's angels was sent to make me suffer terribly, so that I would not feel too proud. Three times I begged the Lord to make this suffering go away. But he replied, 'My kindness is all you need. My power is strongest when you are weak.' "

When I look at this passage in this version, it suggests that the "thorn" is also a vision of Paul's. 

However, I think that when we equate our own suffering to Paul's "thorn", we're self-righteously suggesting that we've earned the suffering we endure. Which shows just how much we can remain in the performance trap. But perhaps, most importantly, what Paul is describing is that in response to our desire to be free of suffering, it is God's grace that turns our suffering into something powerful.