The Best Antiseptic Out There

Yesterday my daughter had not one, but 2 bike wrecks, each time scraping the same spot on her little palm.  When I got home from work she showed her hand to me and told me how much it hurt.  It looked terrible, you know how kids are, it had scrapes and dried up blood and dirt all over it and looked like a breeding ground for infection.  As any well meaning mother would do, I told her we needed to wash it with some soap and water to clean it up and it would probably feel a little better immediately.   She was not a fan of this idea at all!  I let it go for a little while and then reminded her that she needed a shower. I had explained to her that, yes, it might sting a little at first, but in the long run, it would feel better once it was clean. You would have thought I was telling her we were getting rid of our dog or something!  Finally, after much drama (and fear for her life) she got into the shower and I went on about my business in the other room.  Despite my motherly attempts to make her understand and realize this was for her good, I could hear her over the television and all of the other house noise sobbing and saying "IT HURTS" over and over and over.  After a few minutes I decided this was ridiculous and headed off to the bathroom to take matters into my own hands.  She was NOT happy and I had to pry those little fingers open just so the water would be able to get the inside of her hand wet, much less apply any soap!  As I was listening to her drama and as I gently cleaned her hand, God taught me something. I do the same thing to Him.  I go to Him and tell Him about my life's bike wrecks, scrapes, wounds, and injuries, but when He wants to cleanse me with the "washing of the water of the Word" (Eph 5:26), sometimes I fight Him and cover my wounds.  I try to protect them because allowing them to get wet might hurt a little.  It seems as people we would rather have an infected scrape on our spirit or our heart because we know we can stand the pain with it like it is because we are already used to it.  We resist allowing His work because we aren't familiar with how much it might hurt and don't trust Him enough.  We would rather keep the dirty scrape that we know than the one on the road to recovery.    After I finished cleaning her hand and she finished her shower, she agreed that it already felt better and goodness knows, it looked better too!  John 8:2-3 speaks of a leper who came to Jesus and told Him
     "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean."  and then Jesus stretched out His hand and replied simply  "I am willing.  Be cleansed."

Jesus is with you and has brought the best antiseptic on the market, the washing of the water of the word, it's a Miracle Drug!  Don't resist His attempts to clean your scrapes. He can be trusted.  He didn't promise it wouldn't sting a little, but He did promise it was worth it.

Amy Dotson,
RPDOTK
Royal Princess Daughter Of The King