I’ve heard it said that good art can come out of pain, so here goes…
As I write this I have shingles.
So, this is ANOTHER thing that Terry Bradshaw and I have in common (you know, besides being tall and really athletic).
I’ve discovered that shingles are really no fun whatsoever.
It is pretty painful, it feels like I’m getting tattooed continually without any fresh ink to show for it.
AND I have a crazy rash that looks like a 3-D panoramic map of the Bahamas on my lower back.
How did this happen?
When I was a kid I had chickenpox. I was 3 years old. It was an itchy time that I don’t really remember. I imagine that it gave my parents a chance to play connect the dots on my belly…BIG family fun! Eventually, I got better. The pink pox went away and that was it…OR SO WE THOUGHT!
It turns out the chickenpox virus has stuck around. It has been biding it’s time all these years. And now…it’s BACK! (Boo! Hiss!) It has been reawakened by stress and it has made a comeback as shingles.
Have I mentioned that it’s really, really painful?
I’m normally not a fan of pain unless I get a tattoo to show for it.
As I try to find a comfortable spot, I’ve had a chance to think.
I’ve come to realize that sometimes we get soul shingles.
We think we deal with things.
We all have hurts and habits from our past that we think we have dealt with.
Sometimes, it turns out that we aren’t as done as we thought. Those things that we thought were dead are merely dormant. They are inactive.
But then, something comes along and sets them off. It could be stress, guilt, unforgiveness or anger. It might be a memory that strikes us at just the wrong time. It reactivates the virus.
The hurt is back and it’s not done, it brought the pain again. The habit shows up as a rash on our life again.
Have I mentioned that is really, really painful?
The things that we chose to ignore or refuse to confront, blister back up and bite us in the butt.
We have to find a cure once and for all. It’s time for urgent care from the great physician. We find that many times, things have stuck around because we have refused to let go of them. Because, He really, truly cares, the Healer stands ready to take our hurts and habits.
I’m dealing with shingles with some strong meds and lots of ibuprofen. I’m ready to be done with this thing for real.
I’m giving the deeper stuff, the soul scars to Christ. He is the only cure.
carbonated joy 