Ripping Off The Bandage- Maybe It's Time
Little children love band-aids. They frequently feign injury just for the thrill of sticking that little piece of bandage onto their skin. Of course, if the bandage has a superhero embellished over the protective layer, that makes the temptation even greater. Most adults indulge the kiddos and pass out a sticky band-aid to simply soothe the child, thinking it can't hurt. The severity of injury seldom dictates the right to a band-aid.
But when it is time to take this badge of honor off, children everywhere recoil in fear and tears for the impending doom of pulling that sticky wrap off of their skin. Despite curled, blackened edges harboring germs, the desire to keep it in place is fierce. The fits and tears and the nonsensical reasoning of a kiddo begging to leave this temporary fix in a permanent place is a rather everyday occurrence for most moms and dads.
In such a moment not too long ago, I suddenly realized that most people never grow out of this irrational fear of removing bandages. But, it tends to be the bandages that we stick all over our hearts that adults are most terrified of removing. Like a child, when we are heart-wounded, we long for any quick comfort to stick over the gaping gash. Sometimes, the wound is deep and real and pouring the life right out of us. Sometimes, things are more superficial and hit most at our pride. Often, we run like a toddler straight to the prettiest, sticky covering we can put over ourselves. We don't want to hurt, to feel, any pain, real or imagined. We are content to throw things like materialism, pride, addictions, affairs, food, screens, grudges -any bandage that will do the trick of taking our minds off of reality. It may soothe for a bit, then it too curls at the edges and darkens with the grime of being worn far too long. And for the superficial wound, the bandage often resembles a badge. We see this thing we are using to cover our hurts like it is how we survive. Maybe it dimmed the pain temporarily, but everyone knows that a bandage is never meant to be permanent.
Staying wrapped in an old bandage doesn't promote healing. Rather, it allows the wound to fester and opens the door for unwelcome side effects. There comes a time when an old bandage needs to be removed. Most times, it's best to just rip it off and get about the living and doing to heal this hurt. It will be painful, it will be tender, and it might even scar. But that is the evidence of repair God intends to happen in a heart. And remember, a scar is simply proof of a mended tear. Scars are always the marks of healing. Sure, they are sometimes unsightly, and things we don't want to talk about in public, but to have a scar is proof of healing.
Look at Jesus, our wounded and scarred Savior. The holes in His hands and feet, the gaping wound in His side, the beatings, the thorns pushed into His flesh; all these were the beginning of the gift of new life to us all. And in that dark moment of the tearing and dying and the breaking completely open was the moment that redemption entered this world. And He would show us that if we are willing to open our wounds up to Him, we too can experience redemption, even of our tender and bandaged hearts. He conquered the very worst and left the bandages behind in an empty tomb so that we could unwrap our own soiled repair jobs and leave them in the hands of the Savior.
Maybe it's time for you to rip an old bandage off to really get about the business of healing. What is on the other side of that scary ripping? Well, it might be facing failures, pressing into a strained relationship, or finally putting the past to rest. Sometimes, it is the essence of forgiveness and mercy for a wound that truly victimized you. But in the freedom of forgiveness comes indescribable healing.
I once wore an old bandage far too long. I kept pressing into an old hurt, constantly adjusting my worn, tattered bandage. After realizing that the work of keeping this thing on was keeping me from my life, I knew it was time to just pull it off and expose the wound. When I did, a scar surfaced. But under that scar was a renewed heart. I knew this changed me. There would always be tenderness in that wounded place, but it no longer dictated my future. Actually, the wounding and healing taught me more about loving Jesus and more about loving others than any other event in my life. And now, when I see the scar, I am reminded that what once was broken open, my Savior gently pressed back together for His glory. He took my awful, terrible hurt and grew something unique and beautiful from it. He used this tender place to grow new and better things. The history of the wound remains, but the healing added to my life. Finding the bravery to just rip the old bandage off led me to the much-needed healing. At times, it was a painful process, but it was far better than endlessly tending to a festering wound. Though the healing wasn't instantaneous, the courage and comfort from The Healer was.
My friend, if you are holding on and pasting pieces of old bandages back together over your heart, it is time to take it off and heal. You might feel like that little child terrified to remove the band-aid. You might think that it is fine to just keep pressing it back on, even with the curled and dirty edges. It might seem better, easier, to just live with things as you have been living, but what if you are wrong?
A candle cannot burn without the striking of a match. The light cannot glow, and the warmth cannot radiate until the fire touches the wick. Yes, the fire consumes the waxy wick, but the candle's purpose comes to fruition in doing so. A wounded heart left covered with pasted-on-curled-worn-threadbare bandages will never find its fullness until it is uncovered and given to the Healer.
Maybe, it's time.
But when it is time to take this badge of honor off, children everywhere recoil in fear and tears for the impending doom of pulling that sticky wrap off of their skin. Despite curled, blackened edges harboring germs, the desire to keep it in place is fierce. The fits and tears and the nonsensical reasoning of a kiddo begging to leave this temporary fix in a permanent place is a rather everyday occurrence for most moms and dads.
In such a moment not too long ago, I suddenly realized that most people never grow out of this irrational fear of removing bandages. But, it tends to be the bandages that we stick all over our hearts that adults are most terrified of removing. Like a child, when we are heart-wounded, we long for any quick comfort to stick over the gaping gash. Sometimes, the wound is deep and real and pouring the life right out of us. Sometimes, things are more superficial and hit most at our pride. Often, we run like a toddler straight to the prettiest, sticky covering we can put over ourselves. We don't want to hurt, to feel, any pain, real or imagined. We are content to throw things like materialism, pride, addictions, affairs, food, screens, grudges -any bandage that will do the trick of taking our minds off of reality. It may soothe for a bit, then it too curls at the edges and darkens with the grime of being worn far too long. And for the superficial wound, the bandage often resembles a badge. We see this thing we are using to cover our hurts like it is how we survive. Maybe it dimmed the pain temporarily, but everyone knows that a bandage is never meant to be permanent.
Staying wrapped in an old bandage doesn't promote healing. Rather, it allows the wound to fester and opens the door for unwelcome side effects. There comes a time when an old bandage needs to be removed. Most times, it's best to just rip it off and get about the living and doing to heal this hurt. It will be painful, it will be tender, and it might even scar. But that is the evidence of repair God intends to happen in a heart. And remember, a scar is simply proof of a mended tear. Scars are always the marks of healing. Sure, they are sometimes unsightly, and things we don't want to talk about in public, but to have a scar is proof of healing.
Look at Jesus, our wounded and scarred Savior. The holes in His hands and feet, the gaping wound in His side, the beatings, the thorns pushed into His flesh; all these were the beginning of the gift of new life to us all. And in that dark moment of the tearing and dying and the breaking completely open was the moment that redemption entered this world. And He would show us that if we are willing to open our wounds up to Him, we too can experience redemption, even of our tender and bandaged hearts. He conquered the very worst and left the bandages behind in an empty tomb so that we could unwrap our own soiled repair jobs and leave them in the hands of the Savior.
Maybe it's time for you to rip an old bandage off to really get about the business of healing. What is on the other side of that scary ripping? Well, it might be facing failures, pressing into a strained relationship, or finally putting the past to rest. Sometimes, it is the essence of forgiveness and mercy for a wound that truly victimized you. But in the freedom of forgiveness comes indescribable healing.
I once wore an old bandage far too long. I kept pressing into an old hurt, constantly adjusting my worn, tattered bandage. After realizing that the work of keeping this thing on was keeping me from my life, I knew it was time to just pull it off and expose the wound. When I did, a scar surfaced. But under that scar was a renewed heart. I knew this changed me. There would always be tenderness in that wounded place, but it no longer dictated my future. Actually, the wounding and healing taught me more about loving Jesus and more about loving others than any other event in my life. And now, when I see the scar, I am reminded that what once was broken open, my Savior gently pressed back together for His glory. He took my awful, terrible hurt and grew something unique and beautiful from it. He used this tender place to grow new and better things. The history of the wound remains, but the healing added to my life. Finding the bravery to just rip the old bandage off led me to the much-needed healing. At times, it was a painful process, but it was far better than endlessly tending to a festering wound. Though the healing wasn't instantaneous, the courage and comfort from The Healer was.
My friend, if you are holding on and pasting pieces of old bandages back together over your heart, it is time to take it off and heal. You might feel like that little child terrified to remove the band-aid. You might think that it is fine to just keep pressing it back on, even with the curled and dirty edges. It might seem better, easier, to just live with things as you have been living, but what if you are wrong?
A candle cannot burn without the striking of a match. The light cannot glow, and the warmth cannot radiate until the fire touches the wick. Yes, the fire consumes the waxy wick, but the candle's purpose comes to fruition in doing so. A wounded heart left covered with pasted-on-curled-worn-threadbare bandages will never find its fullness until it is uncovered and given to the Healer.
Maybe, it's time.
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