Holy irritations

Holy irritations...the first time I heard that phrase, I thought my friend had lost her mind.  But I only thought that for a second, because I knew she was on to something. 

Pearls are made when sand, or some other irritant, gets inside an oyster shell.  The oyster secretes some sort of goo that covers the irritating thingy, making it a smooth, less irritating thingy.  We could learn a lot from oysters.

First of all, we could learn to cover our irritations in prayer - in the ultimate healing goo - instead of reacting in anger, hurt, frustration, fear, etc.  Well, we may initially react in those ways, but as soon as we get a chance to think, and to choose, we should probably choose prayer.  After all, the initial reaction alerts us to the presence of something that isn't right, to the presence of something foreign, to something that pulls us off balance, etc.  So, first we say, "Ouch!" and then we can begin to make choices.

What's the next thing out of our mouths?  Do we start cussing up a storm?  Do we shake our fist at someone else and call them names, blaming them for the irritation?  When Stephanie was alive, she used to say "Heal quickly, no pain" as soon as she got past the first "Ouch" of a physical bump, bruise, banged shin, etc.  She'd start breathing deeply, calming herself, and almost chanting, "Heal quickly, no pain."  Very often, injuries that would normally have resulted in a bruise or goose egg left no mark, and many a burn  gotten during dinner prep vanished without raising a welt.  She new that cussing at the stove wouldn't help...throwing things wouldn't help...kicking the same door jamb she'd just run into wouldn't help.  Putting the ultimate healing goo of prayer on her wound did.

Those of you who've known me a long time know that I don't believe God sends illness, injury or disaster into our lives to teach us lessons.  I do believe that God, the universe and other human being often give us exactly what we ask for - even if we're asking subconsciously.  So, what if we have an old wound that we just won't let God in to work on.  What if we have some old hurt, old issue, old baggage that we try to ignore or have hidden away in the deepest part of ourselves somewhere?  Maybe, for our sake, God allows (or even sends?) a "Holy Irritant" to find that tender spot and irritate it so we'll start to pray - to ask for the healing goo that can turn that old hurt into a pearl - a lesson, an "ah-ha," or even just a scar that witnesses to the past even as it testifies to God's power to heal.

So, before you start getting all angry and frustrated when things don't go your way, stop and ask God if there's a Holy Irritant in the situation for you.  Pray.  And maybe, just maybe, even if it wasn't a Holy Irritant to begin with, God can bless it so it will become one!