Splinters
I was walking on the bedroom carpet in my bare feet when a wooden splinter poked painfully into the bottom of my foot. How did that get there? I immediately pulled away at the splinter but the tip broke off and stayed under the skin. Repeated efforts with a pair of tweezers merely exacerbated the situation. I figured I should just leave it. It’s small. I thought I had dug most of it out. It’ll just go away. By the third day I became painfully aware that all was not well. A battle royal was in progress inside the wound between my immune system and the infection, with inflammation the evidence. Walking became very unpleasant. I soaked it in hot water and Epsom salt, applied some pressure to the base of the wound and out slid a half-inch splinter tip. There was significant immediate relief and much quicker healing.
It made me realize that life relationships are that way too. Leaving imbedded irritations, resentments, anger and the like inadequately dealt with will cause festering and pain. Little problems become big ones. Relationships suffer. The joy of life drains away. It may take some pressure to have it out in the open and resolved but that is worth it.
Don’t let little irritations fester into big problems.
Henry Wiebe