As the proud auntie of eleven (soon to be twelve), I am frequently informed of the funny or quirky or "awwww" moment-inducing things my nieces or nephews have said or done. As this blog isn't a forum for all the goings on of my siblings' progeny, I'll keep those stories to a minimum...
...however, I couldn't pass this one up.
Recently, my six-year-old nephew, Dylan, proudly diplayed to my brother and sister-in-law the contents of his bug jar. Aghast, amused, and slightly mortified, they saw that in the jar he had collected a scab... or his "boo-boo," as he affectionately called it. Apparently, when a six-year-old loses or picks a scab, they think, "Why not hang on to this?"
As gross as it is to think about keeping a "boo-boo jar" to house all our scabs, I can't help but think of the figurative "boo-boo jars" we keep. Life is full of painful experiences: heartbreak, loss, disappointment, and unfulfilled dreams. Relationships fall apart. People scathe us with what they say. Often the people closest to us, whom we trust the most, cause us the most pain.
We face these difficult, damaging situations and they hurt. They wound. They sting.
We're left reeling, wounded. So we learn how to deal. We move on. We rise from our pain and confusion armed with lessons learned and insight gained. (We also learn that time may not heal all wounds, but time + awesome friends + chocolate works wonders!) We have the ability to view challenges, obstacles, even hurtful words or situations, as opportunities for growth. We learn more about ourselves. We learn to find peace and strength in God. We learn to reach out to the good, safe people around us.
What we're tempted to do, though, is to look at our wounds, and like my nephew and his scab, think, "Why not hang on to this?" "Why not hang on to what that person said to me?" "Why not hang on to that hurt that person caused me?" "Why not hang on to bitterness or resentment?" And so we maintain our proverbial boo-boo jars. We keep with us the hurts and wounds that time/life/people have caused as a perpetual reminder that we were wronged/hurt/wounded. What we're really left with, though, is an off-putting display that showcases our inability to heal, forgive, and move on.
Horace Bushnell says, "Forgiveness is man's deepest need and highest achievement." As we're met with life's challenges and difficulties, we will undoubtedly get hurt in its turmoil and turbulence. We determine the effect of life's pains and difficulties: we allow them to either enrich or embitter us. Choosing to let go allows us the freedom to move forward, with flourish and flair, unimpeded into the next fabulous step in the journey.
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