WHAT A PAIN! By Martha Bolton

Have you ever tried walking with a pebble in your shoe? All you had to do was remove it, but that would have taken too much time and energy. You would have had to stop, sit down, take off your shoe, remove the pebble, put your shoe back on, then stand up and start walking all over again.

Besides, it wasn't a big rock or anything. It was just a tiny pebble. So you decided to simply ignore it. You kept walking, pebble and all. Eventually, of course, you got a blister, which soon popped and almost become infected. But at least you didn't have to waste any time by stopping and removing that pebble, right?

How often do we walk around with something in our lives that shouldn't be there? We know we should get rid of it, but it's easier to ignore it and to pretend it's not there. Sure, it's affecting our walk. It's blistering, and could eventually infect the other parts of our lives, but we still choose to do nothing about it.

Before long, we're complaining about the path and the pain we're forced to endure. But it's not the path that's giving us the problem. It's what we are refusing to remove.

Is there something you're having a hard time removing from your life? Why do you think we shouldn't ignore the little things that threaten to hinder our walk?


* DEAR LORD, I'd like to become the person You desire me to be. I know it isn't easy, so I'm praying for Your guidance and strength. Apart from You, I will just flutter around and go astray. Remove the blisters of my life. Set all things right for me, Lord, and let me walk with confidence and faith.