A Sticky Box

A friend of mine got me a little wooden box from a foreign country. It's a cute little box hand-painted by a local artist and then lacquered. Because of the heat it experienced while traveling across the ocean, the lacquer on the lid and the box had heated and become stuck together. Now, being the inquisitive and curious person that I am, I was not content to leave this box stuck together. I pulled and strained and struggle, but I couldn't get it open. So I pulled out the scissors, chiseled my way in and used it as a lever to pop the top off of the box. I was rewarded with a nice look at the equally as beautiful inside of the box, as well as a very satisfying feeling of having achieved my goal. I firmly replaced the lid on the box and it was once again stuck. It didn't take the scissors to get it off this time, but it did take a considerable bit of effort. I repeated this exercise a few times until the lid easily came on and off the box.

As I was doing this, I thought, "I bet God feels like this with me some times." He wants me to open up so He can get inside and look around and fill me with His stuff. And some times, for whatever reason, I just won't open up. Whether it be the heat of my situation that has caused me to clam up, or the heat of my own bad attitude, I just won't open up. And sometimes He has to pull out the sharp stuff and poke me a bit and pry me open. When He finally does, we have a break through. And then I close up again...its a bit easier for Him to open me up, but still requires effort. Thankfully He is a persistent God and he keeps after me until I open up naturally and easily.

It's the same thing with me and other people. I have a hard time being open with others and letting them in at first. Each time it gets a bit easier until it is easy and natural to open up and let them in.

My encouragement to myself and others is this...don't make it so difficult for God and others to get in. Let's not let the heat of circumstances and internal conflict make us all sticky and hard to get into. Let's make an effort to make it a habit of opening up so that it comes naturally. Let's get to the point where we are transparent and open at all times. I'm pretty sure we'll come to find that what we find inside of not only ourselves, but others as well, will be well worth the effort.