Today I was thinking about all the sunscreen I wear while I'm at work. I'm always applying or reapplying sunscreen, religiously. Always worried that I'll burn and get skin cancer, that I'll have terrible skin when I'm older, and that I'll be in a lot of pain now. Sucks to have such sensitive skin.
And then I thought about the fact that in this way I'm loving the skin I'm in...but it's just skin. I wear sunscreen to keep out the harmful UV rays and whatever else is in that awful sunshine. With sunscreen, the sunshine turns my white skin into a healthy tan, but without...haha. Without sunscreen, I'd be crispy in no time. Lobster face. Etc.
But it's just skin, and physical health and comfort that I'm so worried about. Obviously these are important...
What's more important is that I am constantly applying Sonscreen to my soul! I know, I know---corny. But seriously---in the same way that wearing rose-coloured glasses makes everything look...rosy... wearing Sonscreen would simply mean that I would look at things with Jesus in mind. It would mean that Jesus filters what I see and hear---not to protect my virgin little ears, but so that I can hear things the way he would hear them. It would mean that when and where I make contact with others in this world, I leave a thin film of...well, Jesus isn't oily or greasy the way that sunscreen is, but to be anointed with oil the way Aaron and others were would probably be a pretty cool experience...
Also, in the same way that sunscreen protects from the harmful rays of the sun, Jesus' redeeming work functions in my life to protect me from God's wrath. Really, he'd burn me up crispier than crispy if Jesus didn't stand up for me. But just because Jesus stood up and died on my behalf doesn't mean I automatically receive this salvation...like just because I buy a bottle of sunscreen and bring it to work with me doesn't mean that it will protect me from sunburn...
It needs to be applied. Needs to be worked at, squeezed out of the bottle, spread evenly and in the right places. Just because I can't see the back of my neck doesn't mean it doesn't need work!
And soul is more than just skin-deep. Soul is so much more eternal than this earthly dwelling... So I'm not sure why I try to take such good care of my skin and then go ahead and forget that my soul needs some TLC also.
And then I thought about the fact that in this way I'm loving the skin I'm in...but it's just skin. I wear sunscreen to keep out the harmful UV rays and whatever else is in that awful sunshine. With sunscreen, the sunshine turns my white skin into a healthy tan, but without...haha. Without sunscreen, I'd be crispy in no time. Lobster face. Etc.
But it's just skin, and physical health and comfort that I'm so worried about. Obviously these are important...
What's more important is that I am constantly applying Sonscreen to my soul! I know, I know---corny. But seriously---in the same way that wearing rose-coloured glasses makes everything look...rosy... wearing Sonscreen would simply mean that I would look at things with Jesus in mind. It would mean that Jesus filters what I see and hear---not to protect my virgin little ears, but so that I can hear things the way he would hear them. It would mean that when and where I make contact with others in this world, I leave a thin film of...well, Jesus isn't oily or greasy the way that sunscreen is, but to be anointed with oil the way Aaron and others were would probably be a pretty cool experience...
Also, in the same way that sunscreen protects from the harmful rays of the sun, Jesus' redeeming work functions in my life to protect me from God's wrath. Really, he'd burn me up crispier than crispy if Jesus didn't stand up for me. But just because Jesus stood up and died on my behalf doesn't mean I automatically receive this salvation...like just because I buy a bottle of sunscreen and bring it to work with me doesn't mean that it will protect me from sunburn...
It needs to be applied. Needs to be worked at, squeezed out of the bottle, spread evenly and in the right places. Just because I can't see the back of my neck doesn't mean it doesn't need work!
And soul is more than just skin-deep. Soul is so much more eternal than this earthly dwelling... So I'm not sure why I try to take such good care of my skin and then go ahead and forget that my soul needs some TLC also.
Thanks for the reminder, JC.
Feel free to rub it in till I get it...
3 comments:
oh justine.
I have noticed, among my labours in the employed world now, that the landscapers that I meet are very devoted sunscreen wearers. They always smell like vacation. Second, I jvae also noticed powerfully that among those landscapers (be they sunscreen wearers or not) are some of the most devoted Christians as well. It is awesome. I like meeting new Christians, because you can just see how much it changes a person's life, that they realize that of no power of their own, they have been rescued from barbecue-ation. And they give great tips.! so officially, landscapers do more than just scape land. Really, scaping is only partially what consumes their day. deal
justine: thanks for the analogy...no matter how corny it seems at first. it's a necessary one to think about for sure. i'm not looking forward to sunscreen, but i need to work on putting on sonscreen a lot more.
Sonscreen... I just about GOL'd (groaned out loud) when I read that... But you pulled it off.
Thanks.
You're amazing.
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