I’m continuing part of the subject of my last post. Mostly the part about pears. We were getting a picture of the pears in the old bushel basket, first turning the top pears over if they had a scar or bruise on them. Later when I was talking to Mama and Daddy about it, she said that all of them have some kind of scar, because they either fall to the ground with no help, or someone has to knock them out of the tree with a long poll. Either way they end up with scars of some kind. I hadn’t quite thought of it in that depth, but it occurred to me that we also all have scars of some kind.

Just as some of these pears look pretty good on the outside, but are bruised inside, sometimes we appear pretty good on the outside, but we’re hurting on the inside. We don’t want to draw attention, or don’t want to admit what we think will be perceived as weakness, so we learn to put up a good front. Then again, we may be afraid of the pain of the healing process. With pears, I have to peel away the covering anyway. Then if I see cuts, I have to cut around those where they have begun to discolor. The internal bruises have to be cut away with a margin of the good flesh to make sure I get all of the bruise. If I don’t the darkened flesh will darken the flesh with good color, and maybe contaminate the rest of the preserves.

Sometimes we push people away when we are hurting, and need people the most. We should reach out to God first, but also be willing to allow people in that He sends into our lives to help us. If we don’t allow the process of cutting away the damage that the hurts have caused, we risk physical, emotion, and even spiritual rot. God is our ultimate Healer, and He will heal our hurts, and He may choose to use certain people in our lives; parents, other family, close friends, church members, or sometimes even a stranger. We should be alert to see God wherever He shows Himself, and to hear Him however He speaks to us.

As a result, after the cover has been removed, damage has been cut away, and processing begun, God can make something very beautiful from our lives. He can make us taste like honey to those around us.  We can be changed to something new, beautiful, and to a sweet aroma that rises to Him as a prayer of thanksgiving to bring God the honor and glory and praise He is due. We will discover that He is truly our All in All, and that He has truly made something beautiful of our lives. I haven’t arrived, either. Life is a journey, but if we allow God’s work in us along the way, we will realize how incredibly blessed we really are.

Have a most blessed week, friends.