Bandages

“Honey, stop pulling the band aid back to look at your owie.  It loses its stickiness and it will fall off.  Then we have to start all over again.”  These words tumbled out of my mouth with little thought.  Sure enough, the band aid fell off.  Go figure.

Well here’s a deep thought for you…using a simple bandage for a visual aid.  Picture if you will, a child’s “boo-boo”.  Now, picture a hurt your heart may have.  We take these hurts to our heavenly Father to clean the wound and bandage our hearts with the faith that we will be healed.  When you take whatever ailment to God, do you peel back the bandage to look at what remains?  Or, do you trust that with time and His anointing you will be healed? 

In my experience, children respond to hurts differently.  My son Lucas broke his arm a few months ago.  He wanted NO ONE to look at his cast.  We’re talking wearing long sleeves in June!  There are hurts in some of us we don’t want anyone to know about…we keep them wrapped up tight. 

Some children are constantly playing peek-a-boo with their wounds.  They will open every conversation detailing their injuries.  Know any people like that:  The first thing they talk about is what’s wrong with their life.  Instead of letting the bandage do its job or letting God heal them up, they rehash the hurts, prolonging the healing. 

I’ve been both sides myself.  I’ve rehashed wounds over and over, focusing my energy on what I have no control over.  I’ve learned it’s better to leave the bandage on, to let my Lord work out my healing.  There have been hurts so deep that I don’t want anyone to see them.  After the healing…it takes a little time to stretch myself out again.  That area can still be tender, but I realized I couldn’t let fear freeze that muscle up forever. 

My reliance on God who is able (2Cor 9:8) is the healing balm that has removed my fear of rejection.  He is able to release me from bitterness even when I’m not ready to let it go.  He is able to forgive me when I am not as patient or kind as I should be.  I’ll say it again, He is able! Just give him the chance to prove it to you.