It Hurts a Little

My daughters aren’t very good with pain.  (Who is?)

Here’s what I mean.  Both Avery and Sadie FEAR pain.  I’m not talking about, “Daddy, I’m afraid of jumping on the trampoline because if I break my arm it will hurt.”  I’m not even talking about, “Daddy, I’m afraid of picking up that toy from the ground because a bee might sting me and it might hurt.”  (Although they would freak out about both of those scenarios.)

I’m talking about,

“Daddy, don’t touch that hangnail!”

“Daddy, don’t put water … on that bruise!”

“Daddy, I have a scratch on my arm.”
“Where?  I don’t see anything.”
“Right there!”  (Pointing to absolutely nothing.)
“Can I have a band aid?!”

The other night Avery had a blister on her foot from not wearing socks with her shoes (even though her Momma told her she needed socks!).

It looked like it hurt.

After a few days of band aids but not much treatment, the “ouchy” looked dirty and a bit red.  As I was putting her to bed I told her we needed to clean it out so that it didn’t get infected.

She didn’t like the idea.

Just some warm, soapy water.  No big deal.  I won’t put hydrogen peroxide on it … yet.

Then the freaking out started.  Every time I tried to touch her blister with the wash cloth she pushed my hand away.  When I finally did put some water on it I saw a sickly grimace and then the squeals and tears started.

This was nothing compared to when I tried to put the soap on …

Then I calmly told Avery, “I know it hurts.  Sometimes you have to have a little hurt to avoid a lot of hurt later.”

I don’t often feel like I say too many profound things, and when I do I’m pretty quick to point out that it must have come from God, because I’m not that smart.  This was one of those times.

How many times have I feared and avoided the “little pain” of correction or healing just to endure the “big pain” of failure?

How often do I push God’s corrective hand away as He is trying to offer help instead of holding His hand through the “little hurt?”

As I put Avery to bed that night I told her how much I hated the “little hurt” of cleaning her wound, but that I was willing to cause some discomfort because I loved her too much to see her go through a deeper pain of infection.  As a Daddy, I don’t ever want to see my daughters in pain, though I know they will be someday.  But as a loving Daddy, I would rather them learn and grow from the “little hurts” instead of having to experience the “big hurts.”

I hope Avery heard the lesson in having a blister.  I know I did.

Rest …

Sunday was a long day.  My typical Sunday isn’t too rigorous by any stretch:

• Arrive at the school around 7ish
• Pull out and help set up the sound equipment for church service
• Head over to Publix to pick up donuts, juice, etc. for set up crew and Kids’ Ministry meeting
• Try to find about 45 minutes to pray/study for the morning
• Pray with the A:2 Teams (ministry teams) before people show up
• Do my thing in the worship service
• Hang out with people
• Grab lunch

Like I said, not too rough of a schedule.  this past Sunday our monthly “Gathering” took form as the church picnic out near our house.  I got home from church, grabbed Indy (the dog), and headed to the picnic.  And then I ate … a lot.

It is amazing how much talking to people and eating copious amounts of food can wear a person down!

By the time we were finished I had a headache, my head was stuffy from a cold, my family was exhausted … even Indy was wiped out!

I took 2 Tylenol PMs to “help” get me through the night.

Then Monday came – and it came with a fury.

As the day wore on I kept feeling like I was trying to walk through jello.  Everything around me seemed to be moving at a much faster pace than I was able to process.  I felt like my computer must feel when I am trying to do 4 things at the same time on it.  (You know, when it takes 30 seconds for a window to minimize or when you type a sentence and nothing happens and then out of nowhere the words fly across the screen catching up to your fingers.)  I just couldn’t keep up.

I tried to.  I tried reading.  I tried talking to the staff.  I tried caffeine.  I tried Halloween candy.  I tried to “get into the routine” of a normal Monday.  I really did try!

At 2:30 or so I headed over to pick up Avery from school.  Sometimes I go a bit early and sit in the pick-up line for a while to read until they let her out at 3:30.  Yesterday instead of waiting in line I drove over to The Church of the Cross on Calhoun Street in Old Bluffton.  The church was established in 1771 and the current structure was built in 1854.  It’s beautiful.  And peaceful.

I sat outside the church overlooking the bluff and took several deep breaths.

Then I fell asleep.

I’m not sure how long I was out, but I know my neck hurt from all of the “head bobs.”

And I had one very simple, yet very profound thought.  Rest.

“Are you tired?  Worn out?  Burned out on religion?  Come to me.  Get away with me and you’ll recover your life.  I’ll show you how to take a real rest.  Walk with me and work with me – watch how I do it.  Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.  I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you.  Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly”
- Matthew 11:28-30 (The Message)

Recover your life.
Unforced rhythms of grace.
Live freely and lightly.

Sounds good to me.  Sound good to you?

The next time your day or your life is getting away from you I pray that this simple thought will come to your mind.

Rest.  In Christ.  And Recover.  Your Life.

Lacking

I have been struggling lately.  I don’t know why, but when I look at my journal pages, I want to write, but I’ve got nothing.  I pick up a book to start reading and while my hands turn the pages and highlight the words, I don’t remember anything that I read.  When I hear worship songs lately I hear the words and sense the emotion, but I feel … to be honest … nothing.

What’s going on?

I seem to have fallen into this sense of lethargy.  Have you ever felt that way.

Tired.

Not from a lack of sleep, but definitely from a lack of something.  A lack of heart.  A lack of passion.  A lack of interest.  A lack of motivation.  A lack of intention, or desire, or energy.

You know, just a lacking …

At Live Oak we are wrapping up the One Month to Live study and I have found myself riveted by the thought, “How would I live my life differently if I lived like I only had one month left to live?’

I wouldn’t be lacking, I can tell you that!

But here I am, knowing that I need to live NOW, but wanting to do it later!

Maybe it’s the fall weather.  Maybe it’s the chest cold I’m battling.  Maybe it’s just a lack of deep, peaceful rest.

Here’s the irony.  In this lethargy, this lacking that I’m struggling with, what I need the most, is to be still, without distraction, and listen to the heart of God.  I need to press my ear to his chest and rediscover his rhythm.  I need to fill the “lacking” in my heart with the beating of his.

This may seem like a strange blog, but its what is on my heart today.  Sometimes I get preachy and other times I try to be challenging.  Today I think I’m just supposed to encouraging.  I pray that anyone reading this will take the time to be still, rediscover God’s pulse in their life, and live it now … lacking nothing.