Most of you know that I had reconstructive surgery on my foot. There were several complications. It's been extremely difficult for me to continue writing. However....yeah! Yesterday the doctor took the cast off. Now if my foot swells, perhaps the pain won't escalate as well and I can continue to write. I am not cleared to walk yet....but I'm getting better.
Today has presented something new. The doctor said I could wash my leg. How wonderful it felt to let cool cleansing water rush over my leg and foot. I dried it, moved to my chair and propped it on a pillow. As the day wore on, little pieces of skin began floating around. Every time I moved my leg....I'd leave little bits of skin behind.
I'm molting! How disgusting. Ron and I tried another little wash to release more, but it only made it worse. As the hot evening sun poured in my window, I said a little prayer and then wondered if I should send out a prayer for my molting leg. Instead I smiled thinking, "Isn't this like our relationship with God?"
We come to Him broken and unable to function properly. He wraps his loving arms around us (the cast) and begins to show us how to heal. Some people resist the confinements of the cast. They push away and continue to hobble down the road with dysfunctional limbs. Some people allow him to heal the bones and they seem content for a while - determined to stay the course and see this through. But, when God removes the cast and announces that the broken limb is healed, He asks for one more thing.
"You must remove the dead parts of your life that still remain." This is where He offers living water to wash away the "junk" that has accumulated in your life. It's here that some who were on board with the cast suddenly refuse to go on. "What do you mean I have to rid my life of impurities? I have to give up cursing, forever? Why do I have to give up friends with bad habits?" These people turn with their heavy hearts and walk away. As they move into the distance they leave dead skin and impurities where ever they go.
Some people allow the living water to wash "all" their sins away - and keep them away. Others allow the water to wash most of it away. Like the stubborn molting dead skin that continues to cling to my leg, it will take some rubbing to release those sins completely. Then there's the section of dead skin that goes deep. Most of the outside edges choose to lay loose on the top of tender new skin - until something rubs against it and with a loud "ouch" you realize it's still deeply connected. You can cut away most of the loose skin, but there will be that little portion that catches on your clothes and reminds you that you aren't complete free of the pain.
How wonderful when we soak that section or coat it with cream and it finally releases. Under it is nice new pink skin. Skin that doesn't hurt. Skin that's ready for a new day. Skin that makes us proud.
Isn't that just like God? Waiting for us to shed the remains of a sinful life and live new and free in him? Maybe our new prayer should be for God to help us "molt" our sins away.
Okay....not the best saying, but I'm still in recovery.
God loves you,
Debbie
No comments:
Post a Comment