“Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, for we are members of one another.  Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity.”  Ephesians 4:25-27

Ever had a rock in your shoe?  

I have noticed a phenomenon on my morning walks. I don’t have this problem when the road is dry, but when the gravel road is damp from rain, the tiny bits of gravelly grit stick to my shoe soles for a bit. Unfortunately, they don’t hang on for long. As I walk I can feel them flying up and pelting the back of my legs. Inevitably some of that grit will end up finding its way through the smallest spaces between my foot and my shoe, and they will slip inside.

Often, these little pieces of rock are so small that they don’t cause too much trouble.  I can feel them, but they are not causing pain.  I just finish my walk and dump the sandy grit out of my shoes and socks before I go back inside.  But occasionally, a larger piece will manage to slip through that is more bothersome.

I’m not going to lie – I hate to stop my walk to deal with these, so I usually attempt to wiggle or fling my foot around in an attempt to get that irritating rock to a less troublesome spot inside my shoe.  I’m not really sure why I try this.  It almost never works, and if it does, it is a short-lived solution as it always ends up moving back to a place that hurts.  Eventually, I surrender, stop walking, and empty my shoe so that I can then continue my walk pain-free.

There are lots of times in life when people’s words or actions get in my head and rub around there just like a rock in my shoe. Sometimes, these are tiny, little things that are irritating, but I can carry on and ignore them for a while.  But there does come a point where I need to just dump that sandy grit out so that it doesn’t pile up and become a big issue.  Sometimes things people do or say cause minor discomfort and irritation, and I need to be diligent to pray through that and forgive so that I can continue on without carrying that around in my head and allowing it to affect my heart.

Other times, the hurt is not so easy to ignore. I shouldn’t just fling my foot around hoping that painful rock will shift to a less painful spot. It’s going to come back and cause more damage.  I need to stop and remove the rock.

How do we “remove the rock” when it’s pain caused by another person?  Paul says we should speak the truth and be angry without sinning, but we should not hold onto anger or give the devil an opportunity.  We need to communicate clearly and in love and be ready to forgive and ask forgiveness as soon as we can.  I find it crucial to pray and seek the Holy Spirit’s guidance in how to proceed. 

I have a tendency to allow the hurt to remain in my head and in my heart even though I know it’s better to deal with these hurts right away. Maybe not right in the exact moment of the hurt if emotions are high, but nothing good comes from carrying around the hurt, rehashing it and dwelling on it until it consumes my thoughts.

It’s hard to have a conversation where you confront someone about how they have caused you pain. But for me, it is necessary to do it anyway.  I have had experiences where I made myself initiate a conversation and was able to resolve the issue and repair the relationship.  I know it doesn’t always work out like that, but even when it doesn’t, I can give my hurt to God and let Him heal it. I can get it out of my head and find peace.

Do you have a rock in your shoe today? A hurt that you are carrying around and holding onto?  You don’t have to continue in pain and anger. Pray about it. Give it to God. Have the conversation if He leads you to do so. Let God help you resolve it and find peace.

Heavenly Father, help us to recognize when we are allowing hurt and anger to remain in our hearts and minds. Guide us to see the situation clearly. Help us to communicate honestly and in love to restore our relationships, and give us Your peace even when we can’t.

Set Apart to Stand Out

 

“Thus you are to be holy to Me, for I the LORD am holy; and I have set you apart from the peoples to be Mine.”  Leviticus 20:26

Many years ago, a student’s family gave me a beautiful hydrangea as a gift during teacher appreciation week.  I enjoyed the gorgeous blooms so much, so I decided to plant it in my yard. That has probably been close to 10 years ago, and I am happy to say that the hydrangea bush has survived.  It doesn’t always bloom.  In years when it is hot and dry, it doesn’t flower at all.

But, as you can see from the photo I took, it has created a beautiful display this year.  I was excited when I started seeing the first signs of budding flowers.  However, I did not expect the gorgeous color variations that bloomed from this one bush!

Hydrangeas are sensitive to the pH level of the soil, which affects the color of their blooms.  I did some quick research and learned that when the soil is more acidic, the blooms are blue because the aluminum in the soil is more available to be absorbed by the plant.  In soil that is more alkaline, the lack of aluminum access produces pink flowers.  If your soil is neutral, you may see purple blooms or a mix of pink, blue, and purple on the same plant.

I don’t know of any other flowers that do this. I have many different flower varieties in my flower beds: daffodils, irises, lilies, and more.  None of them have this color variance.  I have different colors of irises, of course, but never from the same plant.  My purple irises always produce purple blooms; the daffodils are always yellow. I have red lilies and yellow lilies and orange lilies, but I know which plants are going to bloom in each color.  The red lily plants never surprise me with an orange flower.

I am intrigued by the unique ability of the hydrangea to surprise me with different colors on the same plant. The hydrangea’s ability to produce blooms of varied colors sets it apart and makes it stand out. It is noticeably different from the other flowering plants in my beds.

My daily Bible reading plan has me in the book of Leviticus right now where God meticulously details how the Israelites are to live and worship. One thing is very clear to me as I read it: God intended for the nation of Israel to stand out among the nations of the world. He gave them laws that were very different from the cultures around them.  Leviticus 20:26 says, “Thus you are to be holy to Me, for I the LORD am holy; and I have set you apart from the peoples to be Mine.”  

The word holy is often used today to describe something pure and perfect, but we all know pure and perfect are impossible for us just as they were impossible for the Israelites. The last part of that verse is really important to understand.  God was claiming the nation of Israel as His and setting them apart for His purposes.  He knew they couldn’t be perfect.  That was not the assignment.  He was separating them from the other nations and asking them to conduct themselves in a way that made them distinctly different.  They were to be known for their differences in behavior and worship. They were to be God’s people, following God’s law and pointing other people to Him.

We are no longer bound to all the laws of Leviticus, but even in the New Testament, it is clear that we are to live in a way that is holy – set apart for God’s purposes.  I Peter 1:14-15 says, “As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior.” 

And Paul tells us in Romans 12:2, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind...”  When we spend time in Bible study and prayer, the Holy Spirit transforms us so that we can live holy lives – set apart to be used by God and pointing other people to Him.

We should stand out like the hydrangea, daring to be different from the world around us, living in a way that sets us apart but also attracts attention to the One who enables us to do so.  Be kind in a world full of meanness. Show mercy in a world full of judgment. Forgive in a world full of vengeance. Be humble in a world full of pride. Serve in a world full of entitlement.  Give generously in a world full of greed. Submit in a world full of dominance. Love in a world full of hate.  This is how we are called to stand out, and it’s only possible by allowing Jesus into our lives to make us more like Him.

Holy Father, You alone are pure and perfectly holy. Help us to be more like You each day. Transform our hearts and our minds that we can stand out in this world and be used for Your purposes, to bring You glory and to help others know You.