Buddy And Homer

Jeremiah 17:14 – Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved, for You are my praise. (NKJV)

I have been in a home where the residents love snakes — yes, snakes as pets! Several varieties in different cages are found in the home. The snakes are all sizes, from three feet to twelve feet long, and the snakes are different circumferences as well.

There are two boa constrictors that live in one cage. Buddy is twelve feet long. Homer is about five feet long. Snakes won't eat if they are not hungry. When these two snakes are fed, the one that is hungry hunts the food down and eats it.

One time, Buddy was the hungry one, and so was hunting his food. When he struck his food, Homer was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Instantly, Buddy was constricting Homer! These are, after all, constrictors. Poor Homer had a bruised head! He likely was pretty frightened! Homer was in his rightful place, too, though — in his cage — but just in the wrong spot at that time.

Sometimes, it seems that we are in the wrong place at the wrong time. It may seem right for us to be there, but something strikes us and we are hurt. It could be the influence of our peers. Sometimes we have chosen the right place to be at the right time, and yet we still get hurt. We get bruised by others' words and actions.

Let's know that being hurt is part of life. We need also to remember that hurt people hurt people. The good news, though, is that we don't have to stay hurt and bruised and bleeding the rest of our days. We can turn to God, looking to Him to heal us.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, life hurts. Each hurt is different — some are deeper than others, and cause more woundedness in us. You know and understand this, as You, too, experienced deep hurts here on earth. Thank You that You will never leave us. Thank You that You have the power to heal us, if only we will let You. Amen.