The Speck in Our Life

Last week I was painting a friend’s house and I got something in my eye. I knew exactly when it happened. It hurt as the speck landed and my body immediately reacted with blinking and watering eyes. But in a few minutes it felt alright. Even though I knew the speck was still there, I kept working and totally forgot about it.

The speck must have found a safe place to hide – way back in my upper eyelid – because I didn’t even think about it until the next day. I woke up and my eye felt just a little funny, so I went downstairs to work. Within a couple of hours, my eye started to bother me. I asked my daughter to look and she could see this tiny speck way back in my upper eyelid, but she could not get it out. The next couple of hours I had periods of extreme pain, followed by periods where it wasn’t so bad. My body naturally started doing what it needed to do to get rid of the speck. My eyes watered profusely and sometimes blinked uncontrollably as the tiny speck worked its way out.

By the time I finally went to the doctor, the tiny speck had moved to the edge of my lid where he easily plucked it out. It felt instant relief, but the pain still lingered. By this time, the damage had been done. My eyeball was scratched and sore. This tiny speck had caused so much pain and trouble and it was going to take time and care for my eye to completely heal.

The Specks In Our Lives

Sometimes the tiny specks in our life are not physical, but emotional. They are the life experiences that wound our souls. We know it when it happens, but we blink hard and ignore it. We go on with life as if nothing had happened, trying to forget. But all the while, the speck lurks in the back crevices. It may not even be that big of a deal to someone else, but for whatever reason, it has wounded us. Every once in a while, something brings it forward – a similar situation, or experience that reminds us of our wound. It smarts and we instinctively blink hard – lashing out or shrinking back – as we try to move it back to the crevices of our soul. All the while, the speck slowly scratches us and keeps us from the life that God wants for us.

When our soul finally decides it is ready to be done with the speck, it is hard work. It hurts to move the speck into the light – to speak the truth of reality and put words to what happened. It hurts to relive memories, to acknowledge and forgive the brokenness of others and to realize our own responsibility. Periods of hard work are mixed with periods of rest – because we just cannot think about it any more. But little by little, the speck makes its way to the outer edge of our soul where it is is no longer hidden. We begin to talk to others – friends, our spouse, God, even a counselor – until one day, the speck is ready to just be plucked out. It has been a labor of love but it is the only way that we can truly be free.

God Heals

I know that God heals, and I have experienced instant change in my life. But I also know that complete healing of habits, insecurities and coping mechanisms that developed over years of carrying baggage, takes time and care. We must make intentional choices to believe that God has healed us. We must believe the best in others and live true to who God created us to be. Faith helps us step out in freedom and live the way that God wants us to live. We must recognize when we are slipping back into our old patterns of lashing out or shrinking back, and choose not to go there. Complete healing takes grace and time and care – and God has plenty.

God never intended for you to live with a speck in your eye. He has given you the strength and the resilience to move it into the light and He will pluck it from your eye. There is no speck that is too big for Him to remove.  He will care for you and patiently heal any scratches or scarring – no matter how long it takes. God will not give up on you. He is head over heels in love with you.

If anyone has a story of how God has healed you that might encourage others, please share  it here.

Be encouraged, we serve an awesome God.