What Do I Do With This?

I am sitting in my office thinking about this young lady I saw some time ago. I can't remember the place or the face, but I do remember the oddly placed band-aid. The band-aid was not serving its intended purpose. The band-aid was covering a new tattoo, almost totally. The band-aid was not what caught my  attention, it was the colorful ink that was sneaking out from under the bandaid. No matter how you look at it, that band-aid was not doing the job. It was trying to hid something she possibly regretted, but it was not working. The bandaid was way to small and the tattoo was way to big.

Humans are very emotional people. When we are in pain, our face will always give it away. When we are depressed, our body shows our hurt. When we are fearful, it is very difficult to hide.

I have known some who have tried to cover their reality. The reality of a dark and painful divorce, or the loss of a loved one. I have seen them walk into church and mingle with everyone as best as they could. They try to blend in as if all was well, when inside they were wounded and struggling to survive.

Reality had beaten them and left them for dead. Reality had mishandled their emotions and discarded what was left. Reality was staring them in the face and they had no clue what to do with it. So with a "band-aid" they try to cover the obvious issue they are facing that just refuses to be covered.

I am reminded of the story in Luke. Jesus walkes into the synagogue on the sabbath day. When He arrives He notices a man with a withered hand, hidden beneath his coat.

It is obvious that this man did not want the withered hand. He did not ask for the withered hand, however reality had provided for him a withered hand. He is in church, worshiping God, and hiding a withered hand. Facing reality alone and hiding reality from everyone else.

When Jesus notices this man, He requires two things of him. Jesus said to the man, "Stand Up". Now this man had a choice. He could either stay seated and continue to live with a painful reality, or he could take a chance on this healer Jesus.

As he stands, every eye is upon him. "What will Jesus ask of me next," he think to himself.

The voice of Jesus responds. "STRETCH FORTH THY HAND!"

Jesus was asking this man to expose his reality. Remove the oddly placed band-aid that is only concealing some of the issue. What Jesus was saying to that man with his withered hand was, STOP HIDING BEHIND YOUR REALITY!! WOW! WHAT A CONCEPT!

You know the rest of the story. When that man stretched out his hand, he was restored, whole.

You know what I have discovered. Reality is no joke. Reality is painful. Reality is life altering. Reality will test your faith. Reality will pull from you everything that you have. Reality is REAL!

However, I have discovered something else. Hidden reality, never gets healed. If I am going to be restored, I MUST ALLOW JESUS CHRIST TO EXPOSE AND HEAL MY REALITY!!

At some point you have got to remove the band-aid and allow God to heal the wound. Hidden wounds never heal.

The first step to complete recovery is exposing the issue to the light of God's grace and mercy. He is a forgiving God. He is a merciful God.

Second, and quite difficult, try forgiving the one who assisted in the reality, it may only be yourself you have to forgive, but forgive.

That is two very big tasks, but you can do it. Let healing and restoration be your new reality.