Good Monday morning...

 

… and most of my people know that I love dogs.  Most dogs know that I love them, too!  As we were walking along the boardwalk in Oceanside yesterday afternoon, a large black retriever saw me coming and enthusiastically greeted me with its front two paws up for me to reach out and embrace.  After a good, under the chin scratching, and an embarrassed dog owner’s apology, we walked on.  It was about 10 minutes later that I noticed the streak of blood on my arm from where the paws and my forearm met.

First words out of my mouth were, “wow, my skin is becoming so thin!”  And it is true, physically, that my skin is on track with most of my ancestors who lived into their sixties and beyond.  Bruises and cuts are much easier to acquire.  But what about my soul’s skin?  I think it is worth noting that as my outer organ has thinned, my soul’s skin has thickened.

Developing thick skin is usually associated with relational challenges that one overcomes throughout one’s life and career.  I have always been a sensitive type, an “old soul” for most of my life, and there have been many opportunities to recover from shots taken at my leadership or my efforts at doing what Jesus would do, to the best of my understanding.  And while the initial impact of those shots was painful, the healing has been nurturing.

The aging of the body is closely associated with the law of diminishing returns.  Skin-thinning is just one of those realities for me.  The aging of the soul is completely opposite that of the physical; it grows with age and experience, with a trust in the Lord that deepens the soul and thickens the skin.  Faith in the Lord is the key to this concept.  Learning to take my shots and bring them to the Lord for healing and guidance has proven beneficial.

I will always hate confrontations, especially with family.  I naturally tend to quietly absorb the intensity of the confrontation, then analyze it after I cool down.  However, I witnessed a beautiful thing yesterday after a heated confrontation with two of my favorite people on the planet.  The surfacing of deeply held old wounds, after a volatile eruption, was tenderly patted down, and the healing process began.  Yay God!

The bloody arm I received from a well-intended, four-footed friend, exposed my aging and thinning skin, but it did nothing but bring joy to my soul.  The family dispute, while initially unpleasant, has deepened the love of our family and broke through some very challenging relational dynamics.  Yay God!

“Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6).

For His glory,

Pastor Mike