When Your Issues Seem Like Sticky Boogers

Okay, let’s get real…we all have them…yes, belly buttons. No, I’m talking about boogers! And thank goodness! They do actually serve a purpose, to moisten, warm and filter the air we breathe. You know what purpose they should never fill…an accessory on your pants leg! And yet, my children seem to think my leg is their giant personal tissue. While I’m on the subject of kids and boogers, can someone please explain to me how they wake up with boogers in their hair!?!? It’s like that scene from Something About Mary…but I digress…

So we all have boogers, and guess what else we all have…yes, butts. No, we all have issues! Somewhere along the process of becoming an adult (despite the opening of this blog, I do claim to be an adult), I somehow got it stuck in my head that I had to be perfect in order to succeed or be accepted. My need for control slowly crept up and up until the fear of uncertainty and the future became crippling. Self-condemnation stole from me moments of joy, as I was constantly judging and feeling unworthy of love from God, others, and even myself. My pride prevented me from seeking help and airing out my weaknesses. Shame made me feel isolated and alone in the world of “nobody else has these thoughts, so there must be something wrong with me.” Anxiety over failure of any kind consumed both my waking moments and some of my sleeping ones too!

Like a sticky booger that I couldn’t seem to flick away, my weaknesses just seemed to always stay stuck on me. So, I decided to air my boogers…

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Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. 2 Cor 12:9 (NLT)

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Certainly pride makes airing weaknesses counter-intuitive. It’s painful for us to allow others into our struggles. We want to be thought of as always strong, always competent, always happy, always on. But like I said about boogers…we all have issues. And just like boogers, thank goodness for issues! They have a purpose too!

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And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness….And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them. Romans 8: 26a, 28 (NLT)        

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If boogers actually keep us healthy (despite their grossness), perhaps, issues or problems keep us healthy too. Personally, my struggles with anxiety have forced me into the realization that I cannot possibly be perfect, I cannot possibly do everything all by myself, and I cannot possibly be certain of anything that will or will not occur in the future. My issues have brought me to my knees, more than once, and shown me that I must have a complete dependence on God. The maker of all (including boogers), can surely handle my worries too.

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He remembered us in our weakness. His faithful love endures forever. Psalm 136: 23 (NLT)

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To this day I still have issues, well, and boogers too. I can’t believe I’m actually going to put this in print, but hopefully I always will have issues, well, and boogers too. They both keep me healthy. My issues help to keep me spiritually fit…they keep me aware of my dependence on God, my maker and great protector. They keep me adept to attacks from the enemy. They keep me humble to the knowledge that I can do nothing by my own power, but by the power of Christ living inside me. They force me to always remember that greater is He living inside me than he who lives in the world.

And each bad booger that shows up, God is always there, letting me use his giant robe as my own personal tissue (well, I am a child of God after all). He is so faithful and loving and merciful…and He doesn’t get grossed out by boogers—or our issues, no matter how horrible they may appear to us.

Much Love,

Olivia

Father, grant us peace amidst the struggles of this life. And help us remain focused on your word and promises over our problems. May we always seek you with confidence in knowing you are right there with us always, shaping us and helping us through whatever we may be dealing with. Amen!