The Sunburn Of Life

This post has sort of been brewing for a couple of days already but I believe the timing will be perfect anyway and it will be read when it is supposed to be.

I have been delaying purposefully because I wanted to get good pictures of this entire experience but I feel like I have enough now to share the lesson.

 Arlene and I have been dealing with “sunburn” since a recent outdoor fun day we attended at church. I spent the day before the event setting up and because I didn’t think that I would be out in the sun for a long time on the day, I didn’t apply any sunscreen and although I wore a hat and loads of sunscreen on the day of the event, it was already too late because I had “already been burnt”.

 

Arlene's forehead... mine looked similar

 

my arm - during the process of shedding skin

The next few days (nearly two weeks now) really got me thinking though, and as I watched the effects of the sunburn on my skin, I started noticing some similarities to life. Who would have thought that burning, then flaky, then peeling skin could teach one some very interesting lessons about life?

 

How many of us have been “BURNT” during our lifetime? Perhaps by people, or maybe by situations, or even decisions.

Sometimes we get burnt because we don’t do our research before we enter a situation. We don’t get a “weather forecast” so that we can plan adequately for what lies ahead.

 

At other times, we assume that we are “immune to getting burnt”. We don’t think certain things could happen to us. And so we just go in trusting that everything will work out all rosy.

Then there are times when we take for granted that someone else will provide some “protection”, so we don’t bother to take our own.

 The reality of life is that there will be times that we do get burnt. We will fail, we will make mistakes, we will make some wrong decisions and we will knock our heads. People will hurt or betray us and offences will come.

 It is important for us recover from these burns and to ensure that we go through the process of getting restored.

It really doesn’t matter how intense the burn is. The mere fact that we are still alive means that it is not the end of us yet.

After being sunburnt, my complexion changed quite a bit. I was a couple of shades darker than what I usually am. I had distinct tan lines on my arms. I didn’t feel very attractive, and preferred to stay out of company until I looked better. My forehead started peeling first and I was a bit embarrassed and thought people would think I’m dirty or have severe dandruff. But after a few days all the peeling had stopped and after a light scrub, there was no longer any signs of sunburn on my face.

 I can relate to that in life situations as well. A lot of times, after getting hurt or going through something “sore”, I’ve felt like hiding. My coping mechanism was – staying away or running. Often the wounds would show on my countenance. My joy would be low, my eyes wouldn’t  sparkle, and my smile would be a bit faded and fake.

 But just like after a short period of sunburn, eventually there is a change. All the old skin – the burnt skin- falls off and new skin starts to appear. This skin is always beautiful and feels so new; and for me it always has a lovely complexion too. It boosts my confidence again and before I know it, I am out there again and ready to take on the world. One of the most amazing feelings is realising that it isn't sore anymore whereas initially I could not even touch my skin because of the pain of the burns. Very similar to the initial pain we feel when our hearts have been hurt.

 

What has burnt you? What has tried to make you feel ugly, unworthy or even worthless?

Don’t allow it to keep you in a place of defeat. Face the sunburn, learn the lesson of applying sunscreen by guarding your heart. And perhaps use a good after sun treatment like forgiveness or a good chat to talk things through.

 You’ll see, the wounds will heal. The old, burnt skin will be gone soon and a new you will surface. Embrace the moments and be determined to not get burnt by the same situations again. Guard your heart and let go of resentment and bitterness and then get your joy back.

 Life burns, but God has provided the ultimate sunscreen. His Word, His Love, His Grace and His Mercy are all the ingredients available for us to protect ourselves, and to help heal us.

 Be encouraged.

 D