
Gross! That is the first word that comes to my mind when I think of my encounters with used band-aids.
Recently, I was working toward my Fit Bit step goal, walking on a perfectly concreted sidewalk alongside of a pristine lawn, and looking down to my left, I saw it. It was a used band-aid. So disgusted! I scampered hurriedly past and quickly redirected my thoughts.
Another time I was in a swimming pool – a public swimming pool – floating, relaxing, tanning….when I looked to my right and floating in the water was a used band-aid! Needless to say, I could not get away from it soon enough. The problem in the water is that the faster I tried to swim away; the closer it seemed this unwelcomed guest in the pool floated toward me. When I reached the ladder to climb out of the pool, it was with a sigh of relief. Do you think I got back into the pool that day? Absolutely not.

When I think of all the used band-aids I have seen in my lifetime, my stomach is repulsed. It does not matter if they were knowingly or unknowingly haphazardly discarded. What matters is that the band-aid is always tainted with the leftovers of someone’s wound, is usually found where it does not belong, and is temporarily close to me.
How does this fit into a spiritual thought? How can you make lemonade from the lemon of a used band-aid?

When I performed a Google search, “band-aid in the Bible”, I was not disappointed. Bible studies comparing a band-aid to Jesus’ Love, object lessons using a band-aid to communicate spiritual truths to kids, and even, the history of the band-aid included in a sermon popped up. There were over five pages of results referring to band-aids in the Bible. Thank you, Google!
Still, my mind was not settled on the spiritual application of why God dropped into my heart to blog about used band-aids…until God queried me, “Angie, would you want to use a USED BAND-AID? Would you trust a used band-aid to properly cover and aid in the healing of a physical wound?”
That was easy to answer! Absolutely not! Taking on the remains of someone else’s wound would increase the pain of my own. If I was to trust a band-aid, then it had to be new. Only a new band-aid would be sterile, protecting me from further infection, and support my body in the process of healing.
What can support your spiritual being in the process of healing? You cannot put a band-aid on the emotion of your heart. You can seek advice from friends or read self-help books. In a sense they are used band-aids based on the lessons others have learned. These words of wisdom can be valuable, but do not be misled. They cannot be trusted to heal your spirit alone. Who can you trust for cleanness, protection, and support in the healing process?

“The heart is hopelessly dark and deceitful, a puzzle that no one can figure out. But I, God, search the heart and examine the mind. I get to the heart of the human. I get to the root of things. I treat them as they really are, not as they pretend to be.” Jeremiah 17:9-10 The Message
Who is worthy of your trust? It is certainly not your thoughts or emotions. (Thanks to another Google search, that is a proven fact!) The battlefield of the mind is a reality. The only one who is a verifiable and sanitized healer is God.
Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don't try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he's the one who will keep you on track. Don't assume that you know it all. Run to God! Run from evil! Proverbs 3:5-7 The Message
God never relies on used band-aids. His awareness of you is personal, and so is the healing that he offers. God will hear you from heaven. He will transcend your understanding, because He not only knows your name, but He also knows your human heart. All of his thoughts toward you are love.

Psalm 139:1 “Lord, you know everything there is to know about me.”

Take a moment and rest in the assurance that He knows your name!
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