I’m a knotty girl.

I mean it. I get a massage once a month out of necessity and it. is. not. relaxing. I never know how many knots and sore muscles I have until I visit what I semi-affectionately call “Candy’s House of Pain”.

As I lay there being tortured for what seems like eternity, Candy’s experienced hands find the problem areas and dig in. The toxins that have decided to colonize all throughout my back and shoulders are rubbed out, literally, and though it hurts like heck, I always feel miles better afterwards. Well, after the bruises heal.

As I’m currently still sore from yesterday’s beating, I mean, session, my mind turned towards the spiritual equivalent of being “knotty”.

Life can give us knots like nobody’s business. They may not be physical, but the stress, hurt, and choices we make can mess us up in ways we don’t even realize. We all carry the toxic build up, whether we care to examine it or not. We can keep carrying it, but the pain will only get worse the longer we let it settle in. Or we can go to Someone, the only One, who can help us.

The beauty of knowing Jesus is that he doesn’t expect us to come to him perfect. He loves us, knots and all. He knows our bent to sin. He knows we’re hurting. It doesn’t take him by surprise, and praise God, he can help us get rid of those painful things we’ve been holding onto.

I guess we need to get to a point where we realize our need to release the toxic thoughts, behaviors, and lies we’ve accumulated. When we come to Jesus, allowing him to work through our junk isn’t usually pleasant. It hurts like heck. And we may feel better for awhile, but we’re prone to come back to him the next time with new stresses and sin on our shoulders.

I don’t enjoy going to Candy, but I am always thankful to be rid of the pain I’ve been carrying in between visits. I wish I could afford to go every day, so that the junk wouldn’t accumulate and be so traumatizing to work through.

The same goes for our spiritual state: the more time we spend with Jesus, in his Word, in prayer, and in obedience to him, the less time sin, anger, or fear has to grab hold of us.

Thankfully, his hands never get tired. And we can come to him whenever we like, because he already paid. Thank you, Jesus.

Angela