Sandpaper

I have always thought that being a burn victim would be horrible. Sure, physical therapy for injuries hurts, chemo makes you sick, having staples taken out is no fun….and there are tons more things that can happen to our physical bodies that, as I think about them, makes me wish I hadn't started this post!

But treatment for a burn, a severe burn, has to be up there at the top of the awful list. To get the treatment you need, you have to be prepared for the daily pain of it all. From what I understand, they have to remove the dead skin from the wound so that good skin can grow and heal it….repeatedly. Like sandpaper. Scraping off the bad, so the good has a shot at growing back healthy.

Daily.
Have you ever been through a season of your life that's like that? Daily scraping? You feel a bit like a burn victim. Trying to muster the energy each day to crawl out of bed and face what you know is coming. The scraping. And it hurts. And it's painful. But it's the process of healing and growth. And that's always for the good.

It's always for the good.

Sometimes God has to be aggressive with the sandpaper of our lives to scrape off the bad, and refine what is beautiful. To shake off the weakness within us, and strengthen our cores to be able to bear more weight. More blessings. More gifts. More callings. More purpose.

But it hurts, friend. And it's sometimes an ugly business. But if this is where you find yourself today, know that at the end of the scraping there is peace. There is joy. And there is a sense of accomplishment that you not only survived, you finished well and better than when you started!

Let God continue the refining of what is good in you. Allow Him to reveal your weaknesses and insecurities, your imperfections and your mistakes! Look fear in the face and know that God will strengthen you to walk forward. Be humble and acknowledge your shortcomings. And be willing to ask God for more grace, more mercy, more guidance, more faith, more hope, more joy. The Bible says ask and it shall be given! So ask! (I certainly wouldn't hesitate to ask for more meds!)

Much love for you today, and know that, if this is you, you are not alone!