Wipe the Slate Clean

Our deepest wounds usually come from those closest to us.  We expect our foes to attack so we keep our guard up.  We are shocked when a loved one says or does something hurtful.  When this happens, our hurt clings to us like a sock on our clothes when we forget to add fabric softener to the laundry.

You can try to pretend you have no static in your life but it won't disappear until you decide to wipe the slate clean.  Think of your hurt as a drawing on an Etch A Sketch.  If you flip it over and shake only partially, the image remains.  Wipe your slate clean...all the way.  Shake it off.  Let go of it.  It helps to let your loved one know about the hurt first so your feedback can help prevent another recurrence.

If you are the one who hurt someone else and you become aware of it, ask them for a clean slate.  If they refuse, move on.  You've done your job and you don't need to feel guilty the rest of your life, especially if what you did was not meant to cause harm. 

If you made a mistake, you are human.  Forgiving is godlike.  When you're having trouble flipping over your Etch A Sketch and shaking it until the hurt is erased, think of what Jesus did when He erased every sin you committed.  Aren't you glad He erased your ugly picture so well that not even His Father remembers what you did?  He erased your sins.  They're gone, completely.  Forever.  Your socks don't stick to you anymore.  Give your neighbor a break and put some Cling Free in your dryer the next time he asks you for a clean slate.  Then, forget about the hurt, forever.  Jesus will do the same for you when you meet Him. He will give you a clean slate if you are willing to do the same for others.