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Not Despising the Irritation

Irritation, the secretion of bodily fluids, and six months to several years is how a pearl is formed. Oysters secrete the same materials that make up their shell to protect against an irritation or parasite invading their space.


My name means pearl and the whole glamoursless process hits close to home. 


As an extreme extrovert I understand I can be a bit much for people with my loud and aggressive traits. My journey of intense inner healing doesn't help me be less irritating. 


Living through an international parental kidnapping, only to be stolen back to the United States and having to learn a new language does not make me fit for small talk. Like an oyster, the pain of being ripped from every caregiver I had before the age of three, caused me to build an extra shell of protection internally.  The process of removing the inner wall was long and all incumpusing.


Fortunately, through the redemptive power of Jesus, the extra shell was removed and transformed into a treasure. 


I imagine The Apostle Paul could relate. He had to allow God to turn his "thorn in the flesh" into a treasure of God's grace and sufficiency. 


In today's world of self-actualization and prosperity it can be easy to forget that pain can give way to new life. As we live victorious Christian lives it can be just as easy to overlook the irritations that God wants to use. Living on the other side of major healing, I face less earth shaking dilemmas with which to run to God.  Instead it is the daily struggles or irritations, processed with God that continues to mold me.


Please do not skip over negative feelings into the end result. You do yourself a favor to process with God. If someone or thing irritates you, try not to judge yourself with godlike wisdom. Allow yourself to feel what you are experiencing and with curiosity, dialogue with Holy Spirit. Such talks reduce the chances of forming an internal wall.


Be careful not to disqualify the value of the process because the outcome is the same. For instance, let's pretend someone annoyed you. Godly wisdom teaches us to forgive.  A conversation with Holy Spirit may end with forgiveness but will most likely reveal something else. 


A revelation of why you were annoyed in the first place could heal a deeper issue. Going straight to forgiveness would keep you spiritually clean, but the exercise of inquiring of the Lord builds spiritual growth.


Is there anything you have ignored that keeps coming up? Any issue you logically understand but still haven't found peace? 


How might you allow the Lord into the small irritations of your daily walk? Do you have shame for being irritated? Could you need to forgive yourself?


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