"I cut it." Haylee held up her bandaged finger the moment she walked in my door.
Within minutes of playing, she held up another finger, "This one hurts, too." It wasn't bleeding but skin was definitely separated. I put a bandaid on her index finger. An hour passed before she returned and points to the palm of her hand, "This one really stings, Grama." Again, no blood, just a red area of what appeared to be an old paper-cut. This time she wanted my "magic" cream.
"What are you doing to yourself, sweetheart?" I asked as I squeezed the Neosporin tube. "Have you been playing with paper?" She thought a second and said, "No, I don't know what's doing it."
I considered the paper beads we'd made three days earlier and wondered about tender spots from tiny paper-cuts. Thirty minutes later Haylee appears with another bandaid to replace the one on her palm because it fell off when she washed her hands. As I smoothed the fresh bandaid in place, she announced, "I think I know what is doing this to my hand, Grama." Anticipating some confession, I looked into her serious honey-brown eyes and said, "Really?"
"Yes, I think I'm growing out of my skin."
Stifling laughter, I choked in reply, "growing out of your skin, huh?"
Sincerity oozed from her expression. "Yes, I've been growing a lot lately, so I think my skin is shedding off."
It's all I could do to keep from bursting out laughing, but I managed to squeak, "I don't think that's it, sweetie. I think you probably just didn't notice the paper cuts you got last Sunday when we made beads. Just be careful now when you play."
That's how we Christians are sometimes. We do what we do, blending in with the world's games. We do not notice the penetrating points of Satan's fiery darts as we move about our daily lives. Carelessness cuts into our spiritual growth--we shrug it off at the time. Eventually our impatience, selfishness, or pride exposes a less than holy walk with God and burns its way into our minds. We are growing out of our fleshly skin and we can't help but feel the piercing jabs of the Holy Spirit reminding us to walk a bit more carefully, pay a bit more attention, and guard the vulnerable parts of our lives. Perhaps Haylee is right; we're growing out of our skin. selahV
Epiphany: "An intuitive grasp of reality through something (as an event) usually simple and striking." Merriam Online Dictionary
