About a week ago, I had a little rise come up on my right index finger. It was small, but sore to the touch. And it also hurt to bend my finger. So, I decided to take action. Now, I apologize for being gross here; but I squeezed it and squeezed it until it popped and a bloody fluid emerged. Only then did I realize the truth of the matter.
What I had assumed was a small whitehead boil, perhaps from an infected hair follicle on my knuckle, was in fact a far deeper problem. The black tip of a large wood splinter exuded from the hole. Obviously, it had somehow embedded itself in my knuckle and now sorely needed attention. In short order, I had the intruder out. Needless to say, immediate relief ensued!
A week passed and then, earlier today, I went to the dermatologist to have an annual skin exam. (Years ago, while in college, I life-guarded for several summers. I now see the need to make certain I did not do irreparable damage to my skin.)
In any event, after having examined (and pronounced as safe) all the questionable spots I had concerns over, the doctor then inquired about a spot on my index finger – not the one on my right hand recovering from the splinter; but the one on my left hand. In the end, the only spot that got frozen with liquid nitrogen was the one on my left index finger.
The week's results? Thankfully, I now no longer have a rise on my right finger. Nor does it hurt. But alas, I now have a huge one on left finger! And ouch! Brother, does it hurt! But at least I know that in time it too will scab over and then disappear. And I will then have two healthy and strong index fingers, hopefully for years to come.
(And believe me, this matters - especially to one such as myself who never paid much attention in typing class back in the day; and who even now composes blogs via hunting and pecking the keyboard with this two index fingers!)
By now, of course, you may be asking, “What is your point in sharing these two stories about your two pointing fingers?” I answer by saying that I have been reminded, not once, but twice now of just how valuable these two little digits are.
You see, I normally take for granted the existence and associated health of each one. It is only when the viability of one or both is threatened in some way (as both have been this past week) that I pause to consider their true value.
More than once throughout this day, I have thought back to the cowboy wisdom proffered by my father. Among his many maxims was one that I heard on multiple occasions: “Son, if you’ll just learn to take care of the little things, the big things will pretty much take care of themselves!”
Perhaps Jesus had something akin to this in mind when, in Luke’s New Testament Gospel (chapter 16, verse 10, New Living Translation), He said: “If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones.”
In truth, I have been reminded anew of the importance of little things! I thank God that He has given me two reasonably healthy and functional index fingers. And I intend to demonstrate to Him just how much these are valued by taking care of them. More than this, I intend on using them to glorify Him each and every day.
(Even if that means having to type a blog post with a huge bandage impeding my progress by interfering with every other key stroke.)
SCRIPTURE SOURCE: http://biblehub.com/luke/16-10.htm.
What I had assumed was a small whitehead boil, perhaps from an infected hair follicle on my knuckle, was in fact a far deeper problem. The black tip of a large wood splinter exuded from the hole. Obviously, it had somehow embedded itself in my knuckle and now sorely needed attention. In short order, I had the intruder out. Needless to say, immediate relief ensued!
A week passed and then, earlier today, I went to the dermatologist to have an annual skin exam. (Years ago, while in college, I life-guarded for several summers. I now see the need to make certain I did not do irreparable damage to my skin.)
In any event, after having examined (and pronounced as safe) all the questionable spots I had concerns over, the doctor then inquired about a spot on my index finger – not the one on my right hand recovering from the splinter; but the one on my left hand. In the end, the only spot that got frozen with liquid nitrogen was the one on my left index finger.
The week's results? Thankfully, I now no longer have a rise on my right finger. Nor does it hurt. But alas, I now have a huge one on left finger! And ouch! Brother, does it hurt! But at least I know that in time it too will scab over and then disappear. And I will then have two healthy and strong index fingers, hopefully for years to come.
(And believe me, this matters - especially to one such as myself who never paid much attention in typing class back in the day; and who even now composes blogs via hunting and pecking the keyboard with this two index fingers!)
By now, of course, you may be asking, “What is your point in sharing these two stories about your two pointing fingers?” I answer by saying that I have been reminded, not once, but twice now of just how valuable these two little digits are.
You see, I normally take for granted the existence and associated health of each one. It is only when the viability of one or both is threatened in some way (as both have been this past week) that I pause to consider their true value.
More than once throughout this day, I have thought back to the cowboy wisdom proffered by my father. Among his many maxims was one that I heard on multiple occasions: “Son, if you’ll just learn to take care of the little things, the big things will pretty much take care of themselves!”
Perhaps Jesus had something akin to this in mind when, in Luke’s New Testament Gospel (chapter 16, verse 10, New Living Translation), He said: “If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones.”
In truth, I have been reminded anew of the importance of little things! I thank God that He has given me two reasonably healthy and functional index fingers. And I intend to demonstrate to Him just how much these are valued by taking care of them. More than this, I intend on using them to glorify Him each and every day.
(Even if that means having to type a blog post with a huge bandage impeding my progress by interfering with every other key stroke.)
SCRIPTURE SOURCE: http://biblehub.com/luke/16-10.htm.