SOOTHING ALOE

Now that my hair is getting longer, it takes me loads of time to wash, dry, straight iron and curl.  The last time I had long hair was in college (you can only imagine how long ago that was)!

This morning, as I was going through my hair "routine", I burned the tip of my pointer finger as I was using the curling iron.  Wow!  You know how a curling iron burn feels!  But do you really understand how grabbing a hold of the curling iron (rod) when it's 400 degrees and holding it a minute hurts like nothing else?  I screamed and Jimmy came running.  MEN, of course, would ask the question, "why did you grab the hot part?"  Right, I really meant to!  I wasn't paying close attention, looking for something else, thinking about leaving for the wedding and quite frankly, I was board with the entire process!  If I had my eyes/mind focused on the delicacy of the hot iron, and its danger,  I would have prevented this accident.  Now, I'm stuck with a burning sensation and pain until it heals.  Aloe helps until the burn is healed.  But I will still suffer the consequences for this mistake.

You know, life is like that.  When we don't pay attention to the dangerous temptations right before us, looking for something more fun, thinking about our agenda instead of God's and board with the day to day routine He set before us, we get burned by sin - we are separated from God.  Why do we KNOW what is right and  wrong, KNOW where our focus should be, yet our sinful nature takes us away from the One who can protect us from being burned with our consequences.

People will go through hard times.  Believers will go through hard time.  We will make mistakes, wanting that which is dangerous for us.  And we will get burned.  But, there is one thing we can be assured of.  Our burns will last only a short period of time (that what God has determined) in relation to eternity.  God will be there to carry us through those burning times when we need soothing, encouragement and healing until we are restored to the place we were before, right with Him.

I'm so grateful my Lord soothes my burns with His aloe (love/forgiveness/gentleness).  I'm grateful He reminds me to keep my eye on the Him and not look away to those burning temptations.  I'm grateful when I do get burned, He is faithful.

Do you have a burn?  Are you separated from the One who can sooth your burn and comfort you until it is healed?  Did you know Jesus paid the price so you can be healed?  Will you keep your eyes, thoughts and heart on the One who is waiting with His aloe?

I do love His soothing aloe!