A THORNY ISSUE

“OUCH!!”

It happened so fast…

“The Hub” and I just spent five days up in the mountains. Not camping this time – we stayed in a rental. Cold weather, warm fireplace…perfect!

So, as we’re leaving Monday morning, I do a “perimeter check” on the outside of the house – just to make sure that all the lights are turned off, and all the doors are locked. (I come from a looonnng line of people with OCD – “Check, check, check” is our family motto. Just sayin’…)

Anyway, it had snowed one night when we were up there, and the ground was VERY icy. (Read slippery, treacherous, “fall on your behind” icy…)

So, I’m watching my feet – and hurrying a bit because non-OCD husband is in the car (with the engine running), just barely tolerating my check-check-checking. I quickly whip around a corner of the house, and WHAM!!!

I ran right into a thorn bush!

I immediately felt this sharp pain on my face. I tentatively felt where the branch had whipped into my face, looked at my hand, and was surprised at the sight of blood!

Goodness…MY blood!

I quickly made my way back to the car, and holding my hand up to my face, said to “The Hub” – “I’m hurt…”

He instantly turned into “Mr. Hero Man” and brought several Kleenexes over to me. We assessed the damage. Somewhere in between stitches and a paper cut – but boy, did it bleed for the longest time. And it was PAINFUL…

I recovered after placing pressure on my “wound” for about 10 minutes – (a little waterless soap was helpful too – extremely painful – but helpful).

I survived the ordeal. I can’t say the same for the thorn bush. Let’s just say it gave its life for the cause of mulch…

Actually, there isn’t much to see beyond a couple of really nice cuts by my nose. They are easily covered up with makeup (vanity, thy name is me…). But, boy oh boy, it still stings REALLY badly…

This pain reminded me of Someone else’s pain…

It reminded me of a crown made out of thorns.

I imagined going back to that awful day. I pictured some smart-aleck yanking out a thorn bush branch. Taking his rough hands and crudely fashioning a makeshift crown.

“Oh, this is perfect,” he chuckles to himself. “A ‘crown’ for the King of Jews!”

I can see him showing it to his buddies – everyone getting a laugh out of how funny it was going to be to see it on the head of the Innocent One.

They laugh at the irony – never seeing the mockery they were making of the Truth.

And when they jammed it on the head of Jesus – I can only imagine how much it must have hurt!! I have an inkling of that pain, because of my two small cuts. It had to have been excruciating.

A crown of thorns.

Only one of the horrors, the humiliations suffered by our Savior that day.

And yet, He has taken that crown of thorns and used it for another purpose – for the purpose of His healing salvation.

I can picture Him calling me to His side.

“Come. Hold out your arms, and don’t be afraid.”

I hold out my arms. And Jesus takes a drop of blood from the crown, and traces letters on one arm with His finger.

“This spells RANSOMED. I came and ransomed you. May you always know that you were purchased with great cost.”

And then He takes another drop of blood from the crown, and traces letters on my other arm with His finger.

“This spells REDEEMED. I have freed you from the consequences of your disobedience. I have made good a promise. May you always know that you are no longer obligated to pay your debt of sin.”

And then Jesus places the crown of thorns on His head, and an amazing, miraculous thing happens. It turns instantly into a golden crown.

Jesus, the King, the Everlasting Rescuer, the Bearer of our Pain…

A crown of thorns.

When was the last time you thanked Him, really thanked Him, for His pain?

BLOG = “Blessedly Leaning On God!”