What Color Is Your Snot?

Now that I have your attention … I will tell you where this question stems from. A number of years ago I went to the doctor's office to get checked out for a bad cold that I couldn't shake. For those of you that may not know me well, I don't normally rush to the doctor unless it's a potentially serious situation. And, it's more than just simply a "male" thing, too. I'm just not typically a person to quickly react to everything … some have counted that as a negative characteristic. I am learning more about how God made me and though I could come across to others as slow or lazy, it's often (not always) more the processing time that I take when presented with a problem or challenge.

I used to allow myself to be guilted into not working things quickly and have actually been called "slow" by a friend of many years (conversely, this same person was amazed at how "fast" Sandy is, and I absolutely agree … but, I digress). In the more recent years of my life, God has revealed to me that He made me to be a certain way and that I cannot be like others. He showed me that even as the young David attempted to wear King Saul's armor, it was ill-fitted and cumbersome and didn't allow David to be what God had shaped him to be. Imagine, if you will, the effort it would take, while wearing the armor, to wind up a sling to the speed and strength necessary to cast that stone deep into Goliath's forehead.

Now, back to the snot … while in the doctor's office, he presented me with the question, "What color is your mucus?" (now, realizing that he said "mucus" and I said "snot", there's a reason I'm sticking with "snot", and, I believe it's basically the same stuff. In real life we often don't go around saying "mucus", we revert to the more socially stated version of "snot". Maybe that's because it sounds so much cooler. We don't say "You little mucus!!", or "Don't get mucusy with me!" And, you have to admit, once you've touched it on any surface, it's just plain snot and the word mucus doesn't make it any better.) I was a little taken aback by the question … actually, somewhat embarassed and even indignant. I thought to myself, "What do you mean, do you think I actually would lower myself and look at such a disgusting excrement from my body?" (Now, here is where I will challenge most folks to admit that at some point in your life, you really have looked at some disgusting excrement from your body … right?) In response to the question, I confessed that I wasn't certain. The doctor then proceeded to tell me about the various colors of mucus (aka snot) that helps him determine what stage and severity my condition was in. The colors ranged from clear, to light green, to yellowish. Each color would indicate something different about what my physical body was going through.

Now, when it comes to a spiritual "snot" condition, I've been going through a variety of stages in recent months. And, it's just now that I'm acknowledging that Dr. God has been at work in me. It isn't that I've been ignorant or blind to it, I just wasn't quite certain what was happening and I couldn't explain it or even articulate it. Sometimes, I know what His work consists of, sometimes I don't. Sometimes He merely is strengthening me for what's coming, whether that be a battle or a blessing. I don't know exactly what His immediate plan is, but I know that I can trust Him with that plan. I look forward to what is, I believe, going to be a time of change in my life … change for His purpose, change for the better, change for the wholeness of ministry. This isn't easy for me, but I'm learning that it is inevitable and that I should embrace it as He embraces me and we take this journey together.

I've come to also realize that I've been away from my desire to blog … this is due in two parts, the first, life just got plain busy and the other is that I believe God was allowing me to go through a germination period of sorts. In the same way that a seed, once planted, would take some time before pushing throught the top of the soil. It seems to me that I've been unproductive and I felt that God hasn't been very close to me. However, when I realize He's taking me through a period of germination (dictionary.com says "The germination of most seeds … occurs in response to warmth and water."), I know that He's been especially close to me and has been watering me with His Holy Spirit. That brings me a lot of comfort ... kinda like a bowl of hot chicken soup when you have a cold. The Holy Spirit is really the chicken soup for my soul.

I now know that because my snot is clear, that I'm done with that short time and that there are things for me to do in His Kingdom. So, I'm done with the box of tissue for the time being and will partner with Him as we move forward.