5 Things I'd Rather Do Than To Dig Splinters Out Of My Yahoos' Fingers

In no particular order....

1.  Go shopping with Kate Gosselin
2.  Work for the IRS
3.  Get Punk'd  (is that show even still on?)
4.  Clean out the fridge
5.  Potty train 


OK, I might have pushed it a little on that last one.  But you get the point.  Finding that splinter and motivating it to come out of those grubby fingers (or toes) is agony for both parties involved.  If you have never had the privilege of doing that let me just say there is lots of screaming and kicking involved....and the kids can get a little rowdy too!

Recently Little Middle Yahoo was stricken by the splinter bug.  He had asked me a couple of times to get it out, but if you will remember I am losing my mind.  So it took me a couple of days to get to it.   And fortunately for me, when I did have a moment of time, The Honey was home.  So he manned up and did it.  (Might I add that I was busy doing the Sunday morning Tazmanian Devil Dance to get everyone ready for church.  This is my spiritual act of worship).  ;)

As the surgical procedure commenced I watched as Little Middle did the fidgety dance.  I couldn't stand it.  I made my way over to take over help The Honey.  Within a matter of moments that infinitesimally small piece of wood popped right out of his tender flesh.  I am always amazed that something so small can cause such discomfort.

And then I had a thought.

You see, no matter how much I hate removing that splinter from Little Middle's finger I have to do it.  If I don't, it will fester and get infected.  Or, over time, the skin will become calloused and hard.  A constant reminder of something buried deep inside.

Like splinters, my sin seems so small, unimportant, inconsequential.  But that sin can cause a lot of discomfort.  To us and to others. And if it stays buried long enough it will begin to fester making my speech, thoughts, attitudes and relationships toxic. Without prompt removal sin will bury itself deep within my heart, making it hard and calloused.


Just like I plead with my Yahoos to take precautions NOT to get splinters (i.e. wear shoes outside, don't run your hand down a board of wood, stop trying to scale the side of the barn, etc.) God pleads with us in His Word, warning of us of the dangers of sin. He loves us and knows the pain that will follow to root that sin out of our lives. Worse yet, He is jealous for us.  And anything that causes us to be calloused towards Him breaks His heart.

for you shall not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God—

Exodus 34:14

So I am making it my goal to examine my heart for splinters. Is there any sin that I am neglecting to address...a little white lie, a judgmental thought, not forgiving that hurtful word?   

As we begin celebrating this Advent....His coming...we can't escape what he was coming  for.  For you and for me.  To take on all our splinters and weave them together into a crown of thorns.

But He was pierced through for our transgressions,
         He was crushed for our iniquities;
         The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him,
         And by His scourging we are healed. 

Isaiah 53:5