I recently had this experience. A seam in part of my clothing was making a sore spot on my leg, so I decided to cover that area with a bandage. It worked so well that I forgot about it, even after showering, etc.
And because the area beneath is was just an irritation and not an actual wound I needed to check on, I really did totally forget I even had it on my leg. It was there unnecessarily for over a week. 😬
Did you know that when you try to remove a bandage that has been on your skin over a week that you may have to use a sandblaster? Or pressure washer? Or laser?
It just does not want to come off.
And you have a residue on your skin that looks like you put down superglue, let it dry a little, and then rolled it in lint and dryer fuzz. What is even in that stuff?? It's disturbing.
And SOOOO hard to remove!!
Or you experience an unintended waxing of the area, as removing the bandage also removes all the hairs that were growing under the sticky part. It can be quite painful!! Especially if someone you love is encouraging you to just "Hold your breath and rip it off already."
And SOOOO hard to remove!!
Or you experience an unintended waxing of the area, as removing the bandage also removes all the hairs that were growing under the sticky part. It can be quite painful!! Especially if someone you love is encouraging you to just "Hold your breath and rip it off already."
Um, no thanks.
The worst is when you use a gauze pad that's made of those little strings, and you leave it on too long. Eventually during the healing process, those strings get caught up in the scab, so when you remove the bandage, the scab goes too, and you're left with a bleeding wound. Again.
Our lives can be the same way.
Something is irritating. But instead of investigating to see why clothing we've worn literally a thousand times is now causing an irritation, or patiently allowing a callous to develop (which will eventually subside), we throw a bandaid over that area because irritations are somewhat painful.
And because it now doesn't hurt anymore, we forget about it. The bandage is doing its job, so we leave it. And we leave it on way too long.
Or perhaps we are really wounded. Maybe we were running and fell in the driveway, getting a serious road rash. We need a bandage to help the healing process, and keep out infection, and keep our fingers off of it, etc. But if we don't check the dressing often enough, the bandage gets pulled into the wound.
So the thing that was helping us is now hurting us.
And we might not even know it.
See, we have to check on our wounds. We have to face them, no matter how painful. No matter how ugly. No matter how much it makes us nervous to lift that bandage and open it up to the air. No matter how scared we are that a scab won't be there, and we'll be faced with the original awful thing that happened to us.
Because you can't wear a bandage forever.
The worst is when you use a gauze pad that's made of those little strings, and you leave it on too long. Eventually during the healing process, those strings get caught up in the scab, so when you remove the bandage, the scab goes too, and you're left with a bleeding wound. Again.
Our lives can be the same way.
Something is irritating. But instead of investigating to see why clothing we've worn literally a thousand times is now causing an irritation, or patiently allowing a callous to develop (which will eventually subside), we throw a bandaid over that area because irritations are somewhat painful.
And because it now doesn't hurt anymore, we forget about it. The bandage is doing its job, so we leave it. And we leave it on way too long.
Or perhaps we are really wounded. Maybe we were running and fell in the driveway, getting a serious road rash. We need a bandage to help the healing process, and keep out infection, and keep our fingers off of it, etc. But if we don't check the dressing often enough, the bandage gets pulled into the wound.
So the thing that was helping us is now hurting us.
And we might not even know it.
See, we have to check on our wounds. We have to face them, no matter how painful. No matter how ugly. No matter how much it makes us nervous to lift that bandage and open it up to the air. No matter how scared we are that a scab won't be there, and we'll be faced with the original awful thing that happened to us.
Because you can't wear a bandage forever.
Eventually the skin around your wound will become macerated, and can cause damage to tissue around the wound that wasn't part of the original injury.
Have you experienced that in your life? You were wounded, and left a 'bandage' on too long, and other areas of your life were unintentionally affected?
Jesus wants us to walk in wholeness. It's part of His gift of shâlôm. He doesn't want us to number the walking wounded. Yes, we get hurt- it's an unfortunate part of life with other humans. But I don't do myself any favors when I prolong the healing process by refusing to look at my wound and change the bandages.
Sometimes just getting it out into the open is enough to start the healing process. Voicing it to the Savior is a beautiful place to start.
Jeremiah 17:14
Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for thou art my praise.
Psalm 23:3-4
(3) He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
(4) Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Psalm 34:18-19
(18) The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.
(19) Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.
Isaiah 53:3-5
(3) He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
(4) Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
(5) But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
Whatever you're going through, Jesus understands. He knows you may be scared. He's ready to walk with you through the healing process, no matter how ugly. No matter how painful. He was wounded for you, so that you might be healed.
Will you let Jesus help you start the healing process today?
Have you experienced that in your life? You were wounded, and left a 'bandage' on too long, and other areas of your life were unintentionally affected?
Jesus wants us to walk in wholeness. It's part of His gift of shâlôm. He doesn't want us to number the walking wounded. Yes, we get hurt- it's an unfortunate part of life with other humans. But I don't do myself any favors when I prolong the healing process by refusing to look at my wound and change the bandages.
Sometimes just getting it out into the open is enough to start the healing process. Voicing it to the Savior is a beautiful place to start.
Jeremiah 17:14
Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for thou art my praise.
Psalm 23:3-4
(3) He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
(4) Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Psalm 34:18-19
(18) The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.
(19) Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.
Isaiah 53:3-5
(3) He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
(4) Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
(5) But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
Whatever you're going through, Jesus understands. He knows you may be scared. He's ready to walk with you through the healing process, no matter how ugly. No matter how painful. He was wounded for you, so that you might be healed.
Will you let Jesus help you start the healing process today?
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