Cutting
off Ears
“But Jesus said to him, “Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword
will perish by the sword.” Matthew 26:52 (NKJV)
Recently I had a basal cell carcinoma removed from the
top of my left ear by the Mohs method. Before my doctor started the procedure,
I asked, “Isn’t it unusual to have one of these things on an ear? I don’t even
know how I got it.” I’m thinking to myself I’m probably a one-of-a-kind
patient, and maybe my case will be written about in a medical journal.
Surprisingly, he replied, “No, I’ve seen plenty of
these things on ears as well as noses.”
Okay, so much for my case going famous.
For the first two weeks, the pain created problems for
smiling, coughing, yawning, sneezing, and even chewing my food. Shampooing,
blow-drying, and combing my hair on my left side became a tricky chore with my
husband witnessing unwanted drama in our bathroom. Even my sleeping positions
altered during this healing time.
When all was said and done, I ended up with about an
inch sliced off the top of my ear lobe, leaving it with a slight resemblance to
Star Trek Spock’s ears. Ugh.
Well, at least I have my ear
I mused as I looked in the mirror.
Not so much with Malchus whom we read about in the New
Testament when Peter draws his sword and cuts off the guy’s ear in Gethsemane
right before Jesus was seized to be crucified. To Peter’s credit, he loved
Jesus fiercely, so much so that he reacted to the challenge of the moment,
defending Jesus from the detachment of troops.
He had good intentions. Even so, we read in Matthew
that Peter received a chastisement from Jesus to put
away his sword.
Are we ever like Peter, with tongues like swords,
ready to strike out in knee-jerk reactions against others? Sure, we may have
good intentions, but spiritually speaking, are we in danger of cutting off
ears? I hope not. I know what it literally feels like to have part of my ear
cut away. God’s word tells us that a gentle tongue is a tree of life, but if we
are perverse, spirits can break.
While I hope we are all fiercely loving Jesus as Peter
did, what are some steps we can take to keep our tongues gentle, especially
when we’re in contentious situations?
Becky Van Vleet
Becky Van Vleet is a retired teacher and principal and award-winning multi-genre author. She has been published in Guideposts, The Country Register, and Christian Devotions Ministry. Her children’s picture books are the recipients of the 2020 Excellence in Editing award as well as the Purple Dragonfly award in 2020 and 2021. She and her husband make their home close to Colorado Springs where she enjoys gardening, hiking, oil painting, power walking, and spending time with her family, especially reading books to her grandchildren.
Becky is the author of Unintended Hero, a true
story about her father’s battles, experiences, and adventures in WWII aboard
the USS Denver. She is passionate about sharing the values from the
Greatest Generation and enjoys speaking to high school classes about
patriotism.
A member of ACFW and Allauthor, Becky has
devoted her website to creating and preserving family memories and sharing
family stories for the next generations through her monthly blogs.
You can find her at: https://beckyvanvleet.com.
She would love to hear from you, especially if you have a family story to share!
Social Media Links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorbeckyvanvleet/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/becky-van-vleet-ms-806055181/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/becky_van_vleet_author/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/beckyvanvleet/
Amazon Central
Author Page: https://amzn.to/3INHIPB
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/125841473-becky-van-vleet
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@beckyvanvleet9907
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/becky-van-vleet
No comments:
Post a Comment