February 07, 2013
Picking Scabs
Our newspaper has a daily column titled ‘Out of the Past’ that publishes
snippets of their archives from one, five, ten and thirty-five years ago. Most
of us like having our memories jogged about past events and situations, but unfortunately
this column is often used to pick scabs off of old wounds. Spiritually
speaking, we can do the same thing to ourselves and to others when we just
won’t let go of past. Paul uses his persecution of the church is an example of turning
a sinful scab into a simple scar. “Brothers, I do not consider
myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is
behind and straining toward what is ahead.” (Phil 3:13 NIV)
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Gail;
-----I once barked a nearly half-dollar sized chunk of skin off the ball of my big toe. I’m not talking about just the top layer of skin either. And where that skin had once joined whatever it was attached to underneath was well overlaid with road tar. I knew this healing process was going to require some very careful attention to doing some unpleasant things. After Char had cleaned it for me (other maladies from the same incident hindered me from cleaning it myself,) I kept it very, very clean. I knew a scab the size of this one could easily harbor a horrendous infection. Twice I suspected infection, and twice I patiently soaked it, and then peeled it off. Aside from that, scabs must remain intact.
-----People behave so badly because their inner beings are festering with infections under the scabs of past maladies. These scabs, too, must be carefully peeled away so medication can be applied. Life is complex. For every careful way of peeling a scab, there are forty disastrous ways to do it. But purpose is the great simplifier. Peeling a scab for healing purposes will not cause more injury, and must be done when a situation demands.
-----I take it that you noticed no loving, medicating purpose in most of these articles, and probably no demand, either.
Love you all,
Steve Corey
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