Nailed it

 

One of those nights when sleep eludes. I finally rose before 5 to sit in the prayer window. A July morning in Scotland means it is light as day by then.

My eye was drawn to the white smears varnished into the pine cladding lining the window enclosure. At waist height and above, they can barely be seen. That’s where Don did the finishing decoration, meticulously. But below waist height – the putty that masks the nails was sanded off too fast, too carelessly, and then varnished over. Those are the ones I did. I think I assumed the varnish would erase the marks, but instead it highlighted them, making them stand out with prominence.

Thinking of the power of words. How carelessly they can fly from our lips, landing like nails in someone else’s heart. How hard it is to try to make amends, to putty the holes our words leave, to hide the scars they cause. But unless our own heart is changed, harsh words can fly again.

There is so much rancour and division in our world. So many harsh words fly carelessly, wounding and disabling wherever they land. The world is broken into bits as nations slur other nations, peoples slur other races, religions or genders.

Lord, purify my heart today, that my thoughts would inspire words of wholeness and health, that all judgmental and critical thoughts are rejected to wither and die.

God so loved the world that he gave his only, much-loved son Jesus to die for all.