Ooey, Gooey Boogers

Yesterday, and basically every day if I want to be honest, I was trying to wipe some nasty green gunk off Kellah's nose.  She had just woken up from her nap, and while she was nursing, I noticed the bottom part of her nose was crusted over with what had once been ooey, gooey boogers.  I tried plying off the stiff strip of green and brown crud, but Kellah seemed to think her nose was just fine the way it was -- boogers and all.  She stopped nursing immediately, kicked, rolled over, and squirmed completely out of my lap in a matter of seconds.  I grabbed her up before she could escape entirely across the room and pulled her back towards me, attempting once more to clean off her disgusting nose.  Again, she thrashed her body and screamed bloody murder, tossing and turning her head, making it impossible for me to get at the hardened snot.  Determined to clean her nose, I used my legs to hold Kellah still long enough for me to yank at her nose and remove the remaining boogers.  They were being just about as stubborn as my young daughter!  How did babies get to be so strong in the first place?!  For such little people, they are pretty darn powerful!

Anyway, after much effort, Kellah's nose was clear of any snot, ooey gooey boogers, or crusted over gunk.  That would probably last all of 5 minutes, but for those 5 minutes, she could breathe, and I could look in the face without being overcome with the "need" to wipe her nose.

As I was struggling with Kellah to take care of her snotty nose, God seemed to whisper in my ear, "You do the same thing when I try to take care of the sin in your life."  True... 

He went on to explain, "It sure would be easier if you would just let me get rid of the gunk and stop fighting me."  Ouch!

But He wasn't quite done yet, "Remember, I love you and am trying to help you -- not hurt you.  I don't want you going around looking like an idiot with that sin in your heart.  I am doing what's best for you.  TRUST Me.  Work with Me, here.  Because whether you want me to or not, I am going to take care of that sin.  How I go about doing it is largely in part up to you."

I sighed, knowing that I couldn't argue with God and win.  He would always have an answer for each and every excuse.  He will always be stronger than me.  He will always outlast me.  I can kick and scream and try to escape His grasp, but He will always prevail.  Not because He is mean, but rather because His love for me is so great.

Hebrews 12:6, "The Lord disciplines the one He LOVES."

The Message puts it this way, "Or have you forgotten how good parents treat children, and that God regards you as His children?  My dear child, don't shrug off God's discipline, but don't be crushed by it either.  It's the child He loves that He disciplines; the child He embraces, He also corrects." 

A.W. Tozer was a much more eloquent speaker/writer/thinker than me and explained God's dealing with sin, "To remit a man’s past without transforming his present is to violate the moral sincerity of his own heart. To that kind of thing God will be no party! For to offer a sinner the gift of salvation based upon the work of Christ, while at the same time allowing him to retain the idea that the gift carries with it no moral implications, is to do him untold injury where it hurts him most!"

In the same way that I don't want Kellah going around with ooey, gooey boogers or dry, crusty hardened snot on her nose, God doesn't want me going around with sin in my life.  Granted, sin can be easier to hide or cover up (at least to other people) than green gunk on your nose.  Your family and friends might not ever know about a sin in your life, BUT God does.  And He isn't going to leave it alone, either.  He will wipe it clean.  

Thank goodness!  I, for one, don't want to go around with a ooey, gooey booger hanging out of my nose!
And if you do see that I have an ooey, gooey booger -- or dry, hard crusty gunk for that matter -- PLEASE tell me!  I won't be mad.  I'll be thankful.  I will appreciate your honesty and know that you are a real friend!