10-18-24

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHING
October 18, 2024
It might sound silly, but the other morning I made my breakfast smoothie. Like I do often, I added some organic kale to the other ingredients and turned on the blender. It nearly pulverizes the kale, along with everything else. After finishing my smoothie, I went in to take a shower and get ready for work. Some of the usual get-ready steps included using my waterpik flosser, brushing my teeth, and then rinsing my mouth with mouthwash. I know this might be a bit more information than you are wanting to hear, but then I took a swig of water to rinse my mouth one last time. And when I spit, a little piece of kale went into the sink. Question—where had that piece of kale been hiding during the waterpik flossing, the brushing of the teeth with a good electric toothbrush, and the final rinse with mouthwash? That seems pretty thorough, yet a piece still remained.

As I looked at the piece of kale in the sink, I asked myself, “What else in my life have I felt confident in saying that I had gotten rid of it all?" Absolutely certain! Only to look a little closer and discover that what I thought was gone was in fact still clinging to me. It might not be a literal piece of kale, but a bad habit, a painful past experience, or a bit of resentment. We might feel certain that our prayers, the encouragement of friends, and the passing of some time are enough to have cleansed us of everything that we desire to leave behind. Sometimes it is hard, and for that reason, I think we need to show ourselves some grace. There are things that are extraordinarily difficult to remove from that hidden place within us. But we trust God, the people around us, and sometimes a good counselor to continue the work.

Help me to be a little less shocked to find that thing from the past is still very present. Help me, Gracious God, as I continue to do the work—whether that is truly putting it away or finding them necessary tools to move forward knowing that it is still a part of who I am. Amen.