Lip Balm and Hand lotion

I’m not sure when this addiction starts but the struggle is real.

You know, that feeling of panic when you can’t find your lip balm in your purse? You know it is somewhere in that abyss. You are certain within a matter of minutes a full-fledged panic attack will set in if you do not locate your lip balm. Answered prayer. It. is. Found. The exhale of relief, even though you must pull off lint and whatever else has found it’s way on top of your lip balm. The important thing now is that you found her. Like a long lost friend you haven’t spoken to in months you are finally reunited. Reunited and it feels so good.. oh sorry, certain things can make me break out into a song and finding my carmex is one of them.

What is it with our obsession with these small incidental, yet powerfully addictive tubes?

I feel the need to apply often, one can never have enough lip balm or hand lotion on. The hand lotion I have can turn heads in church invoking ravenous appetites across the pews. Awww.. yes, that is pineapple you smell. Ladies are leaning over with covetousness dripping off of them to say, May I use some? I smile and say, why of course you can.

Jeremiahs Message

Now that we are all lotioned up and our hands are not dried up we may continue on to hear the completion of the preacher’s message.

He is actually preaching on the healing balm of Gilead, inside myself I think there must be a spiritual connection of his message and my addiction. Balms have a way of covering up our calluses. How those calluses and cracked lips happen who knows, but they do. It is so tempting to just keep covering them up with balm.

It is like that with our spiritual lives at times. God wants to exfoliate and peel away some of the calluses but we just keep frantically searching for the “balms” buried in the abyss out there somewhere. We “panic” when we go searching and can’t find them. I have back-up lip balms and hand lotions everywhere. I don’t want to be caught off guard ya know.

Aren’t we like that in life at times. Instead of running to God we have a lot of “back-up” balms that should do the trick or at least soften the “hardened” parts of our lives. In desperation we are hoping they will bring us some relief at least momentarily. We find these “balms” in various places as we run from thing to thing or place to place or person to person just trying to find some relief. The relief is short-lived and leaves us feeling empty and still searching. And after all this time, God is still saying to us today. “Adam, where are you?”

Jeremiah 18:14-15
Will a man leave the snow water of Lebanon, which comes from the rock of the field? Will the cold flowing waters be forsaken for strange waters? Because my people have forgotten me, They have burned incense to worthless idols. And they have caused themselves to stumble in their ways, from the ancient paths, to walk in pathways not highways.

Are we any different than the people Jeremiah was prophesying about?

Trying to Make Our Own Way = Fail

It is like we are on the interstate and we decide to cross over into a field to make our own path. Instead of staying on a clear marked path with direction we venture off thinking we can trudge our way through. Following our instincts we attempt to make a new path to find what we are searching for. Attempting to reach our destination yet we are lost.

The once cool clear water has now become strange and muddied with the residue of this path we chose.

All the while God is saying “Come let us reason together”…as if any “reasoning” we have can stand up against the Counsel of God almighty. Nevertheless, he still wants to have a little chat with me. These “chats” aren’t condemning nor shaming but liberating as He shows me the adjustments He will help me make. Key word- “He” will help me make.  I’m not on my own but God in his grace overshadows every decision I make. He sets me on the right path.

Aren’t you glad we come to a mercy seat with God instead of a throne of judgment?  I sure am.

Meanwhile, Where is that lip balm again. I know, welcome to my quirky brain.

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