splinters

I got a splinter in my finger today. I'm not quite sure how but I am sure that it hurt. It's amazing to me how our body is designed to warn us of things that should not be there. It was not a very big splinter, in fact, it was quite small. A tiny little piece wedged right underneath the skin of my pointer finger.

I was thinking about what a big impact that little tiny piece of wood or whatever it was (I have a feeling it might have been a piece of wheat from a project I had been working on) made. It rendered that finger almost useless. Sure, I could use it, but it hurt to do so and I avoided using it all costs.

Isn't that what happens to our souls as well? Splinters. Sin, lies, gossip, envy, rage, hate, lust, wedged in our soul. And isn't it amazing that our very soul can cry out and tell us of the splinters of sin that we are embodying, just as our flesh can tell us of material splinters?

I looked up the definition of splinter. The verb is what hit me. "Veb 1. Splinter- withdraw from an orginazation or communion." (thefreedictionary.com/splinter) Isn't that what sin does? Our sin wedges it's way between us and God. It breaks our communion with the very One who made our soul.

I was quick to remove the splinter in my finger. I didn't like the way it hurt, didn't like that it disabled the use of my finger. Why then, do I not quickly remove the splinters in my soul? The things that disable my soul from being near and hearing God?

I was alone when I found the splinter in my finger. It was in my dominant hand. It was not easy to remove it and I thought to myself, "I wish someone was here to take this out for me." I have someone willing to remove the splinters from my soul. Over and over again, He will take them out, and not only will He remove them, but He will heal the hole that they have left behind. I have a groove in my finger now that will take time to heal. I have holes in my soul that need to be dealt with.

Oh Lord, help me to forget not to neglet my soul. Help me to recognize those splinters when they come and run to You for their removal.