As I begin to write these words for this week, I am wearing a bandage on the middle finger of my right hand. It is not making typing very easy. And we have used up a good part of our supply of butterfly bandages trying to keep the wound safe. We started the week by needing to know that we were going to have to roast a turkey on Monday. When I say roast, it probably doesn't mean roast in the way that most think roast. We cut up our turkey in many pieces and put them into the roasting pan, then cover all with broth seasoned with onions and celery, salt and pepper and rosemary. We were hoping for Easter turkey, but our warm weather helped with our decision to cook/roast early. My husband enjoys the knife work of cutting but he insists on a very sharp knife! That very sharp knife ended up in my sink to be washed and under other large dishes. But, after other items were also placed in the sink (I have a deep one) and I filled the sink with water and soap, then the knife was very hidden from sight—my sight! Out of sight, out of mind! Until I reached into the sink for another dish to wash and my finger interacted with that out of sight knife! And then it was no longer out of sight—out of mind. My mind knew exactly what I had done, and I had done it very deeply. It was just a tiny brief touch of my finger to the knife but enough to make me cringe and not want to look! Down in the water my thumb immediately tightly pinched the wound closed. And then I called for help—bandage help! To bandage, I had to dry off my finger and remove my thumb. Then the blood began to flow and drip! And I wished I could go back to before I put my hand into the dishwater. In fact, I wanted to go back to before the knife was put into the sink. Yes, we both know better. We want to each blame the other, but in fact neither of us remember doing what we should not have done. After I was properly bandaged up, I still had to finish doing the dishes. (There is no dishwasher in our house unless you want to call our dishwasher by name—Eileen!) I had to wear a rubber glove and I really do not like wearing rubber gloves for any reason. It is part of the results and punishment for disobeying dishwashing rules. Every action has a consequence, some good, some bad. My consequence is wearing an unwanted glove and a very sore finger. Consequences is a rule that many people learn, often in ways that are not liked. If you choose to speed over the speed limit where there is a patrol man watching or there is a speed camera, then you have a consequence that you won't like. If you go hiking in a tick infested area, then you won't like the consequences. If you work hard at the job you have, and earn a promotion, then you earn a consequence you like! Satan has worked very hard to get many to see things his way. He is going to reap a consequence that he won't like, and many will join him in the consequence. Moral of my knife episode—beware of hidden knives. They will harm, just as Satan has hidden dangers for us if we are not observant and aware of his evil intent.
For some time, we have been talking about needing to get new mattresses. One of the ones that needed replacing was given to us when we needed a mattress quickly. It was just for a short time loan, and we were told to replace it and burn the loaned one. It had two or three broken springs that we stuffed with an old pillow and another place that sagged and formed a hollow place that our Miss Kitty thought made a cozy little sleeping nest for her. It was not a very nice mattress and quite worn out. The other mattress was the one we sleep on every night. It too had broken springs and needed to be replaced. It had lived long beyond the normal lifespan of 8-10 years for mattresses. We knew that! —we knew it needed replacing, we knew that it wasn't very comfortable in places. But we once again had padded the broken springs with old pillows and some foam. The holes and broken springs were hidden from sight and kept from poking us. Hidden from sight but very much affecting the comfort of the bed. The reason for procrastinating the replacing is that it is very hard to replace and remove old mattresses in our "antique" house built in the late 1800's. When our house was built, the mattresses were much different and could easily be moved up and down steep, narrow stairs. And the stairs go around a corner with no landing, just pie shaped stairs. So----to put in and take out today's type of mattresses, frequently we have to remove a window and lift it up to the second story and put it through the window. It is a job that no one enjoys.
The last week of February ended with mattress sales advertised. We could see that if we were going to get new mattresses, we should do it while the sales were happening. We decided to go shopping. Of course, there were very expensive ones that would have been nice. But then we remembered how much trouble it was going to be to get them up our stairs. Eventually, the one we chose was one that came in a box to be carried upstairs by two strong men and unfolded to be placed on our bed. What a great plan!! No window to remove! Just a new comfortable mattress to replace the worn out one. That worn out one with the hidden brokenness. It looks pretty good when the bed is properly made with a nice cover on it. It hides away the lumps and dips of the brokenness. The holes and bumps were disguised. It reminds me of how we try to hide and disguise the problems in our lives. We don't want others to see our problems, the holes. We cover them up and hope no one will find out. We want to hide and disguise them, make others believe that we are doing just fine—"no problems to find here!" And yet we know what is wrong with how we are living. We don't want our problems known. But under our cover up, there is one that knows all! Jesus is watching everything. He knows what is under our attempts to cover up and hide our holes and bumps, no matter how much we try to disguise them.
We recently got a new to us car. There are always new discoveries about any car that is different from the old. We have had to learn about several things that were mystifying to us. I finally noticed a little red light that mystified me. I readily admit that I am pretty naive about some things, but we have never had a car with that particular little red light and neither of us could figure out exactly what it meant and how it worked. Later, we were asked why all the doors were locked. And we couldn't give an answer because we didn't know why. Eventually Garry walked out to the car and discovered that all the doors were locked once again. Probably many already know what the problem was, but this was a first for us. Garry decided to go back and get his keys so that he could unlock the car and get in to do what he was attempting the first time. When he came back with the key fob in hand, he discovered the doors were open! This is a very smart car he has discovered. We have never experienced a car that is this smart. If you have the key fob in your pocket, the car knows you. If you approach with no key fob, then the car doesn't know you and locks you out!! So smart of it to recognize who it will allow to come in and who will be kept out! The little red mystery light said anti-theft and we should have had a clue, but we didn't. The message with its effect and action were hidden from us. This all led us to think about the hidden meaning for us. We can get automatically locked out without the right connections. Someday we might get locked out of heaven and not be allowed to enter. But we can have the secret key fob that will allow us in. We just have to love Jesus enough and follow Him into the gates of the Holy City. Our faith and trust in Him are the key!
Christ can and will lock Satan out of Heaven. His friends will be locked out also because they don't carry the right keys to enter heaven. God has given us all the keys that we need to be able to enter! They are not hidden from us; we just need to be sure that we have them in the pockets of our minds. Prayer is the key that unlocks heaven—heaven’s store house.
Hidden Dangers removed, puzzles solved!