Where Did You Find God Today?

What irritates you?

I have always had s sensitivity to certain metals. Only surgical steel can go into my pierced ears. But one pair I bought, which I later discovered was not surgical steel, are my favorite. Yet, if I wear them for more than a few hours, the “holes” become angry and infected. I have tried coating the wires with clear nail polish, dousing the posts in antibiotic salves, soaking them in rubbing alcohol…but the plain fact is my ears do not tolerate whatever alloy is in that metal. The result will be the same each and every time. So I stare at them and ponder, “Is it worth it?”

Sad to say, sometimes I suck in my defiant breath and shove them into my earlobes anyway. Then, I complain about the consequences for the next few days.

Sound familiar? No, I am not talking about earrings anymore. I am referring to those little “sins” we try to get by with. Those whispered temptations. The “no one will know if you do” nudges.

These irritate our souls just as the alloy embedded in the posts aggravates my sensitive ears. You might say these indiscretions rub us the wrong way – and that is what God intends. As Christians, sin is supposed to be an irritant to us.

Yet, how often to we pretend we are not sensitive to it because we want to have it, we give in and do it, or we sneak around and try it. We can coat the sin with anything we like, but the truth of the matter is it will still infect us. And only Our Lord can heal us.

Better to chuck it in the trash and walk away.

Easier said than done. I still have the earrings in my jewelry box.