Hurts, Habits, Hang-Ups and Hangnails

I got home the other day and as I was relaxing catching up on the latest news, my finger brushed up against my pillow and….OUCH!! Hangnail! How could such a small piece of a slightly torn skin cause so much pain! For the next day or so, I am reminded each time that little, micro-small piece of my body comes in contact with ANYTHING…OUCH!!

I can’t help to think about some of the hurts in my life in the same way. What appears to be something that seems so small can cause so much unnecessary pain. I can deny, and even sometimes, forget that the hurt is there…until it brushes up against a hurtful comment, a broken promise, or a car cutting me off in traffic and…BAM! The pain comes back and reminds me that the “little” thing I’m ignoring is still there.

And it still hurts.

What I’ve learned is that the “little” hurts matter. I can only ignore them for so long. The problem with ignoring the small hurts is they seem to flare up in the most inopportune times and very often are just a byproduct of something bigger. When triggered, they leave me in a state of not being able to focus on anything but the pain.

So here’s to dealing with the hangnails in life! Nipping them in the bud when they first appear, moisturizing them properly so they can heal, and giving them the time they need to do so. 

Where’s my nail clipper? 

9 Months

I can’t help but think about babies when I think about 9 months at Celebrate Recovery. Interestingly enough, I have several friends who either gave birth, or are about to give birth this month. As I’ve watched them wait with anticipation for this new life on the way, I think one word sums up a lot of what they are experiencing: Hope.

Hope that the new life will mature to its due date.

Hope that they are doing everything they can to prepare their home for the new addition.

Hope that this new life will be afforded all the opportunities that they’ve been blessed to have, and then some.

Who will they be? How will they change the world? 

When I come back each week…when I share my story or hear the stories of women in my group…I see the same thing…new lives being formed…I see hope.