Spit or Endure

Noah – my 2 year old – was eating a popsicle just now. He took a huge bite and then got a mouth freeze. He started screaming in pain. He had this look on his face of utter shock. Like how could something so sweet and yummy revolt within my mouth and become something so painful? He was standing close to the trash can so I said, “Dude come here and spit it out.” He looked at the trash can, and then looked at me like, “What? Have you lost your mind!? Spit out this precious morsel of ecstasy? I’m not bleeding it’s just pain.” He held the popsicle in his mouth and endured the pain. He endured the pain, of course after which there was no more popsicle.

Have you ever had a hold of something….or someone, that just feels right and makes life sweet, but just as quickly turns pleasure to pain? Makes sweet moments painful moments? Yet we still hold on tight. In spite of the pain we just don’t seem to want to let go of the habit. We hold it close, keep it where we can enjoy it, tolerate it. Of course all we would ever have to do is listen to our dad…..our heavenly father, and spit it out in the trash. Remove it, or them, from our lives and let the healing process begin. Most of the time if we choose to endure the pain, there’s nothing left in the end anyway.