Splinter

It was dinner time and Jennifer, my daughter called and asked us for suggestions to help William (3) because he was really hurting..and crying hard. He had somehow managed to get a splinter lodged deep in his big toe. All I could think of for immediate relief was put him in a hot bath and soften it...and then try to remove it. "What about a bath in my big tub"...maybe a change of scenery would help take the focus off of the pain...she asked him and he was immediately comforted by the suggestion! Mom and Catherine (2) and William were on their way! The tub was a help because of the "magic" flakes (Epsom salt)...and it did soften the skin but there was still trouble ahead to actually get it out. Jenn was patiently and tediously successful...but it was tough go of it for everybody...

When was the last time you had a splinter? It is kind of amazing that something so little can cause such pain....and be so annoying but at the touch of a splintered sight, it does send a quiver of pain running up the spine....especially for little ones.

Under the skin...it is used in song lyrics, in analogies, in quick explanations for regrettable responses...etc. But this little splinter was a reminder that it just takes something little that gets under the skin to cause us irritation. And we react to that irritation....most times not too favorably. The only way to not be bothered by it is to remove it for a splinter will not go away on its own! To remove a splinter.. you first have to determine its location...you have to have the tools to apprehend it and the light to focus on it....and the courage to face it. As adults we often try ourselves to work on a splintered situation within our own framework, but just as children need help....we often do too, we just don't want to admit it.

We all are faced with little painful annoyances...sometimes it is a situation, sometimes a person or a relationship,
sometimes it is just that we have tucked ourselves into a lifestyle that we can't seem to get free of on our own.
Whatever it is...the longer we let it go unattended the more tainted and calloused the actual splintered area becomes. Soaking it is an option...soaking it in prayerful conversation with God. God has a way of helping us to be softened and he soothes us by watering down our frustration or disappointment or hurt..through His ability to help us to change our focus. He has a way of distracting our focus from the pain to His gain. For when we allow God to shine his light upon our situation...he directs us using his tools of love, grace, strength, patience and forgiveness to remedy and remove that which has caused or is causing us such pain.

As I sit her in the quietness of the wee hours of this morning, I am conscious of the fact that God waits on me to
give whatever pain I am conflicted with over to Him. He is the help that I need...not just when there is pain, but when I need direction, when I need tools to handle life challenges, when I am bewildered as to how to navigate through a situation that is before me.etc. Something may begin as a simple splinter but if it remains it festers and causes more pain along the way. It hurts to have to dig out something that has lodged its way into your life that doesn't belong. But God knows just where our hurts are, and he has the light and the tools to help us remove that splinter that is embedded.... If we let him he will.

Jesus Christ stands ready...at all times to help us when we need his help, to direct us when we need directions, and to love us when we are so many times not too lovable. Pain is not a stranger to Him...and because he has suffered as he has up until his death, it just makes him more able to understand our every pain, no matter how great or small it may be. Each of us relates differently to pain...and pain is distributed to us in different degrees, depending on our varied abilities to cope. It is all relative...the more we grow into our faith the more able we are to find the strength, the perspective, the courage and the security in Christ to carry on through our pain. Sometimes he chooses to relieve us of the pain and sometimes he uses us through our pain to help someone else to get a glimpse of HIm. For they have heard us talk of faith but seeing us live the faith in spite of painful circumstances is truly to His glory. To Christ pain is a part of what he uses, not necessarily promotes, to get our attention and to grow us up...and slide us into focusing on Him and not our circumstances. When we live according to what we know and who we know and not according to our circumstances, that is when Christ gets the glory.

Dear Lord, Help me to take the splinters out of my life...the things that I let get under my skin. Shine your light upon me so that I can see clearly what it is that you want me to give up and help me to dig it out before it festers.
And Lord please help me to recognize the tools that you have given me so that I may use them for your glory. Amen

Praise God wherever you are or whatever situation he has allowed you to be in ...for His glory will shine through!