Splinters

There it was. Such a small thing but it was causing such pain in my daughters foot.  It was visible yet embedded so deeply beneath the skin there was only one way to get it out.
The process was no picnic- for me!  Most of it was mental and emotional. Her dad knew the pain of getting it out outweighed the result of leaving it there. She shook and tensed with every slight touch of the area. But she knew she had to endure the present discomfort of allowing me and dad to dislodge that 1/2 inch invader. It looked like a mini clinic with the needle, alcohol, magnifying glass, and tweezers strewn across the bathroom sink. It felt like forever. But finally after over an hour of hemming and hawing, crying and "no-ing" she surrendered to the desperate need to be free of that splinter. It took less than 10 min to get it out. Just minutes later she was running around like her vibrant self, like nothing even happened.

Spiritually we carry splinters- small invaders of our emotions and our spirits that hold us captive. Sadly we choose to live with the pain, rather than endure the sometimes painful process of surrendering to the Father. He wants to protect you from infection, that is liable to spread if left untreated.
The process is unpleasant to the flesh because it forces us to face the past that we've tried so hard to bury. It forces us to forgive when we feel we are the victim. It forces us to let go when we want to hold on and convince ourselves we have control. The process is painful as it can reveal even deeper issues we thought we'd gotten over, or didn't even know we had.
But the process is worth the freedom it affords. It's worth the deeper knowledge of our Father we wouldn't know otherwise. It's worth the peace, the freedom, the lifted weight.

If you're ready to experience true healing and peace, surrender to the Father today. Believe he loves you and desires only the best for his children. Let him heal you.

Suggested book: "Christians and Strongholds" by Kim Haney