Still itching...........

After a week of itching and self-medicating, I decided to go to the doctor today, on my Saturday, to get a shot. The rash had continued to spread, and I was ready to be over it!
As I sat in the waiting room, (for almost 3 hours), I caught on to some of the conversation going on. People who may or may not have known each other discussed ailments- child with cough, me with poison ivy, teen with an earache, teen with ongoing headache, baby with eye allergies, elderly with congestive heart failure. I saw people I knew and some I didn't. The different sickness' weren't a respecter of persons. All ages were represented.

It seems that we were all in there for similar reasons, though. Of course we were; we were at a doctor's office and we were all sick in some way. Some did not look sick or sound sick. With some, (like me with my rash) it was obvious.

Others, like me, decided it was necessary to do something about their problem. I had tried long enough to treat it myself.

It occurred to me that often in waiting rooms you might hear people talking about their sickness. Sometimes, it's more than we care to know. Still, it is not odd at all to overhear.

But when it comes to our "sin-sickness," we clam up. We don't want anyone knowing what's wrong with us. What would they think? Would they move seats in the "waiting room" of our life if they knew? 
We all find ourselves in those waiting rooms of life. People we know, and people we don't know all have something in common: sin sickness.

One lady I overheard talking about the congestive heart failure said, "I hate that disease."

I hate the sin disease too. It wreaks havoc on us. There's a CONSTANT struggle. Because of this disease, there is sickness, hurt, loss, pain, and consequences that are life altering.

When it's an "itch" we face, we try to treat it ourselves, coating it with a "topical ointment," when really we need a shot of the strong medicine to cure it.

For our sin-sickness, there is only one cure: Jesus Christ, and the grace He offers.

As I walked out the door after spending 3 hours and $146, I felt it had been a little costly to my Saturday, in more ways than one! I LOVE my Saturdays! I had to pay the money and time on my off day to get this treated.

As I reflected on that, I was reminded that it was also very costly for Jesus- more than 3 hours and $146. It cost Him His life, in order for us to receive His salvation and free gift of grace. 
He is the true Healer! 

I'm sure I will find it worth the cost and wait, when this poison ivy is cleared up much faster after having the shot, rather than trying to do it on my own.

Just the same, Jesus found us worth dying for in order for our sin-sickness to be healed!

The Itch

I couldn't keep myself cooped up this weekend with such beautiful weather. I decided to do a little pruning in our back, (way back) yard. It's actually not even our land, yet we mow it and tend to it........but that's another blog.
So, I was going to continue some pruning on our side of the neighbor's fence where Jason and Peyton left off. I really wasn't making a dent in it, but it was making me feel like I was accomplishing something, none the less. If you happened to have driven by, you would've noticed the very small pile of branches on the road!!

On Sunday, I realized that I had gotten into more than just tree branches and bushes. In the mix of what I was cutting was either poison ivy, or something that did not set well with my skin. A rash broke out rather quickly.
I noticed today that it had begun to spread, although I had been doing a good job of not "itching" it! I have a bunch of "huggers" in my class, but warned them that I'd have to give them pats on the backs or air hugs (any Suite Life of Zack and Cody catch that reference!)

Tonight I stopped to purchase some more medicine to lather on it, in hopes that it clears it up. However, after my bath, I guess the patches of the affected area had been agitated and the itching sensation was very strong.


I knew better. 
I knew it wasn't a good idea. 

Yet, I couldn't stop myself. I took a towel, (because at least I wasn't using my hands, so not to expose anymore skin, right?), and rubbed and rubbed. And boy, did it feel good. For a minute. Then it began to burn a little. And then it itched worse. So what did I do? I scratched some more.
Finally, I came to my senses, medicated both arms, and then reprimanded myself for making such a dumb decision. I know that now it is likely to spread. At the very least, it sure didn't help it heal.

Then I thought about other itches we have. 

The itch to speak the gossip. We know better. We know ahead of time what harm it can cause. No sooner than we've satisfied that first itch to tell it, do we find ourselves going to the next person to share the "prayer request" with, making excuses that at least we only told two people.

The itch from a lustful thought. Instead of taking the thought captive to the obedience of Christ, we entertain it. We go places in our minds that we would never go with our feet, justifying that it only took place in our minds.

The itch to watch that show or movie, knowing the content it will contain. Most of the time we know this just from the specific actors that star in it. Yet, we give in, claiming at least we watched it in the privacy of our own home.

There's the itch of sexual sins. It starts as that thought, which we entertained for awhile.  We find ourselves in that moment, where we do have time to realize that this is not a good idea. We know this is wrong, but we gratify the pleasure for the moment, and are left with pain, and yes, a greater temptation to continue- with the excuse that "everybody's doing it."

There's also the itch to take that drink, that puff, that drug, knowing that one will not be enough. Yet, also knowing the repercussions of what is to follow.

The itch to entertain the thoughts of jealousy and envy, which gives way to voicing those "opinions" of others.

The list goes on and on.......the itch, the temptation, the pull of the flesh and the spirit. And the threat that it will cause it to spread to other areas of my life.

Just tonight, I shared this analogy with Peyton, as he told me some of the things that "everybody" around him is doing.
Temptation is all around us. Much of the time, we are aware of it, and we are also aware of the consequence. And sometimes, just like I did tonight, we give in to it anyway, and scratch away. 

This says it pretty well:
1 Corinthians 10:11-13

 These are all warning markers—danger!—in our history books, written down so that we don’t repeat their mistakes. Our positions in the story are parallel—they at the beginning, we at the end—and we are just as capable of messing it up as they were. Don’t be so naive and self-confident. You’re not exempt. You could fall flat on your face as easily as anyone else. Forget about self-confidence; it’s useless. Cultivate God-confidence.
 No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he’ll never let you be pushed past your limit; he’ll always be there to help you come through it.

After I had scratched and scratched, I then put the medication on it. I had a way of escape prior to giving in, but I did not take it. Thankfully, I put the medicine on it, and hopefully that will begin to heal the rash.

Just because we can have the "Healer" of our sin wash over us does not mean we just sin anyway.
Paul speaks of this as well in Romans-
"What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?  By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?"

I am dead to those sins......remember The Walking Dead blog?

I am thankful that He is faithful and just to forgive me when I do mess up- but I pray that I will take that way of escape next time- because I sure don't want this stuff to spread.