Sticks Like Glue

While attempting to remove the residue of an "incredibly strong" glue from my fingers, my thoughts ran to a lack of preparation of the gluing project. Taking time to prepare would have been prudent and carefully reading the instructions would have been excellent preparation. The "incredibly strong" glue had stuck to my fingers in what appeared to be a semi-permanent film that made the tips of my fingers sticky and frankly somewhat annoying. Presumably this "incredibly strong" glue tackles the "toughest jobs on earth" so this thin layer of glue would be a constant reminder of my gluing project for a day or so.
Contemplating the now slick surface of the tips of my fingers was the inspiration for a thought process far from the just completed gluing of a broken chair. The worrisome residue from the glue made me think of the way hurtful remarks seem to "stick" to a person's psyche. Hoping that those remarks will eventually slough off is often an unrealistic dream. Depending on where in one's soul those remarks happened to stick, they may become semi-permanent reminders. Peeling away the residue of the glue began to be an obsession and the rough feel of partially removed glue urged a continued effort to scratch it off, leaving a "raw" feeling to the fingertip. Still the urge persists and the mind wanders to inventive ways to remove it. Thoughts of hot,soapy water, sharp objects and chemical solvents began to emerge. Maybe alcohol would do it... Funny how the mind offers all kinds of solutions to the little annoyances of life to avoid an eventual all-encompassing malady. Our society is all about good feelings and self images, there's no place for blemishes or insensitivity. We desperately seek ways to get the "residue" of hurtful remarks and damaged psyche, of less than perfect self-image out of our lives. For example, chewing unthinkingly on one fingertip while typing with the other is definitely hampering this process of blogging. So it goes with life, something "glues" itself to us and we spend our lives trying to remove the annoying reminder from our consciousness. What are we to do with these "sticky" situations? How do we make ourselves impervious to the "glue" that sticks these annoyances to us? Why won't they simply slough off?
A forgiving heart becomes the solvent for these "sticky" annoyances. In Luke 6:27, Jesus said, "But I say to all of you who will listen to me: love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who treat you badly." Jesus implores us to simply listen to him. Forgiveness is essential to your own forgiveness for we all know our capabilities to dish out all the same things we condemn. We can spew the "sticky" remarks that become annoyances for others. We must redouble our efforts to avoid making the miseries we experience. Read the the Bible, our "instruction manual". Prepare your heart for life's sticky stuff. Have a grateful heart, love God, and make a special effort to love one another.