Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Bruised Feet

I love being barefoot!  Soft tufts of carpet soothe my soles; gentle slaps upon smooth wood please my ears; free toes happily wiggle when inspired.  Nothing feels better than slipping off shoes and socks after a long day on my feet and letting them breathe.

But, my shoeless preference has led to bruised feet.  Ezra, smiling his two-toothed grin with drool dripping from the subtle point of his chin, rolls everywhere in his walker.  He's as fast as Fred and Barney at times, and more dangerous to bare toes.  Sometimes, I jump out of the way just before Ezra's careening sends him into my leg; other times, the top of my foot unwantingly serves as a bumper as he attempts to smother me with hugs from outstretched arms.

Loving someone so much it hurts is quite an odd affair in life.  After all, who hurts you the most?  It is usually someone you love deeply.  There are moments in time when the pain from unhealed wounds throbs as ardently as rain pounding on a metal roof.  Forgiveness is a constant event and it seems you'll never forget the personal harm.  It's as weighty as a tumor.

Instead of focusing on what cannot change, seek to change the behavior that has resulted from the pain.  Like favoring an arm or leg in-set with aches, when I favor the heart-wound, I tend to curl my attitude around it - protecting it.  I'm hindered from trusting others and allowing the ministry of true friends to soak my sores in healing balms.  So, I have to chance living with an open heart and looking to God to provide the strength and courage I need to walk without a limp.

Friend, how can you focus on changing your outlook, instead of licking your wound?  Would not you rather pour kind words from true friends over yourself, rather than ponder the past's unpleasantness?

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