Black Buggers (Boogers)
Yes, today I am going to be talking about buggers. Really - someone has to! Ha!
Buggers began being a bigger part of my conversation after we started having children. I'd look down and see a finger up a nose hole at very inconvenient times. I'd have to answer, "what color is the stuff coming out of their nose" questions at the doctor's office. Clear was good. Yellow - not alarming. Green - time to see a doc. Red - something is lose that shouldn't be. Brown - sign of lots of time outside…brown caused the most laughs around our house….yes, there was some comparing. We have two sons!
Yesterday, my nose hairs were stiff and my buggers were black. The answer…Serve Grants Pass. Dennis and I ended up with black spray paint duty - for over 3 hours. Yes, I wore a mask indoors - but then we moved outdoors because of the fumes. Outdoors. 90 degrees - with an occasional breeze. Eventually the mask came off. Black face, black arms, black hands, black hair…black buggers.
(FYI -also not water soluble paint. Ugh.)
You'll never believe where I'm going with this, but thanks for hanging with me here…
"Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks." (Luke 6:45)
I'd say that attitudes and words are evidence of the condition of your heart. "Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it". (Proverbs 4:23 NIV) "Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life." (Proverbs 4:23 NKJ)
I know the signs that show when I need the spring of my heart to be refreshed - the daily accumulation of crud washed out - the offenses and hurts (that tend to stick) need spiritual Orange Goop to scrub away all evidence and leave nothing behind.
Last night we used baby oil (it's suppose to soften and release paint), paint thinner (to thin paint!), acetone (I soaked my hands and rubbed them with this stuff), and Orange Goop with pumice (to scrub off paint). We used it all! This morning I used Orange Goop with pumice and a tooth brush to try to reclaim my fingernails.
The most resistant paint was the paint left on for the longest time - in the heat. That paint did not care that we were painting for a good cause.
I think - no, I know - that hurts and offenses allowed to stay attached to our hearts for the longest time become part of us, and are the most resistant to forgiveness.
Catch the paint of offense, hurt, sin, neglect early and that removal process - that forgiveness process - is much easier.
Open your heart to the oil of the Holy Spirit in the area of forgiveness. Allow him to soak you, scrub you, wash you so clean that there's no sticky stuff left that even shows where that dark spot was. Stay in His presence so the sticky stuff won't attract another offense easily. You know what I mean…you took a price tag off of something, but the sticky stuff is still there and attracts dirt like crazy. Allow the Holy Spirit the full and complete permission, time and process so that there is absolutely no sticky stuff left to make that place vulnerable.
Don't get frustrated with the process if it takes longer than you'd like it to take. Keep spending time with the Holy Spirit so that He can do the deep cleaning work, that shines. It shines for the glory of our God.
(No pictures will be included in the making of this blog…) :-)
Buggers began being a bigger part of my conversation after we started having children. I'd look down and see a finger up a nose hole at very inconvenient times. I'd have to answer, "what color is the stuff coming out of their nose" questions at the doctor's office. Clear was good. Yellow - not alarming. Green - time to see a doc. Red - something is lose that shouldn't be. Brown - sign of lots of time outside…brown caused the most laughs around our house….yes, there was some comparing. We have two sons!
Yesterday, my nose hairs were stiff and my buggers were black. The answer…Serve Grants Pass. Dennis and I ended up with black spray paint duty - for over 3 hours. Yes, I wore a mask indoors - but then we moved outdoors because of the fumes. Outdoors. 90 degrees - with an occasional breeze. Eventually the mask came off. Black face, black arms, black hands, black hair…black buggers.
(FYI -also not water soluble paint. Ugh.)
You'll never believe where I'm going with this, but thanks for hanging with me here…
"Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks." (Luke 6:45)
I'd say that attitudes and words are evidence of the condition of your heart. "Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it". (Proverbs 4:23 NIV) "Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life." (Proverbs 4:23 NKJ)
I know the signs that show when I need the spring of my heart to be refreshed - the daily accumulation of crud washed out - the offenses and hurts (that tend to stick) need spiritual Orange Goop to scrub away all evidence and leave nothing behind.
Last night we used baby oil (it's suppose to soften and release paint), paint thinner (to thin paint!), acetone (I soaked my hands and rubbed them with this stuff), and Orange Goop with pumice (to scrub off paint). We used it all! This morning I used Orange Goop with pumice and a tooth brush to try to reclaim my fingernails.
The most resistant paint was the paint left on for the longest time - in the heat. That paint did not care that we were painting for a good cause.
I think - no, I know - that hurts and offenses allowed to stay attached to our hearts for the longest time become part of us, and are the most resistant to forgiveness.
Catch the paint of offense, hurt, sin, neglect early and that removal process - that forgiveness process - is much easier.
Open your heart to the oil of the Holy Spirit in the area of forgiveness. Allow him to soak you, scrub you, wash you so clean that there's no sticky stuff left that even shows where that dark spot was. Stay in His presence so the sticky stuff won't attract another offense easily. You know what I mean…you took a price tag off of something, but the sticky stuff is still there and attracts dirt like crazy. Allow the Holy Spirit the full and complete permission, time and process so that there is absolutely no sticky stuff left to make that place vulnerable.
Don't get frustrated with the process if it takes longer than you'd like it to take. Keep spending time with the Holy Spirit so that He can do the deep cleaning work, that shines. It shines for the glory of our God.
(No pictures will be included in the making of this blog…) :-)
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