Date: 3/3/2009
<br>Author: Devin Pickard
<br>Title: Confession
<br><br>OK.....as much as I don't want to, I guess I will come clean.  I don't know that the front page of a church bulletin is necessarily the best place to do it, but at this very moment I feel a great weight of disappointment and shame that travels all the way to my inner core and I think it best to just go ahead and unburden myself while I have the courage.  Just five minutes ago I fell off the wagon.....I stumbled back into my past.....I revisited that familiar, comfortable place where I used to reside.  I'm not exactly sure how to say it, so I'll just say it.....I just bit off my right thumbnail.  Whewwww.....now there it is.....out in the open for all to see and digest.  Granted, you may now be saying, “What?....Has this dude lost his mind?  All that build-up because he bit a fingernail?  What's the big deal?”  To which I would reply two things in particular.....Number one, it was a thumbnail, not a fingernail, and there is a huge difference in the two.  Ask any veteran nailbiter and they will let you know real quick that there are a lot of differences in biting a thumbnail and a fingernail.....differences in the angle at which you go at the nail.....whether the bite is vertical or horizontal.....and a bunch more info that would mean nothing to you if you have never been a part of our club.  Number two, it's a HUGE deal to me because up until this morning, I had gone about 3 weeks and had not bit one nail.  Now, I won't say that I haven't been tempted, nor will I say that I haven't had a digit or two go in the vicinity of my mouth during that time, but I did not bite a nail.  Ask Angie for yourself  if you don't believe me.  She will tell you that she has witnessed me doing something recently that she hasn't seen me do in years.....and no, Mr./ Mrs. Smarty Pants.....it's not washing dishes....she has seen me using nail clippers to cut my fingernails.  I know to most of you it's no big deal.....but in all honesty, as silly as it may seem, it really is a big deal to me.  Thanks for letting me relieve myself of that burden.....I already feel a whole lot better.  I'm sure you are now thinking, “And the spiritual relevance to this disgusting habit is what??”  For those of you who have no cuticle challenges, read on.  To the rest of my “Christian Nail Brethren”, I bet you have done figured it out.  You can go ahead and turn the page and let Ms. Carolyn talk to you if you want to.  Her stuff is always better anyway :) <br><br>Honest confession to the soul is much like the raising of an anchor to a boat.....when both are done, you are set free to sail again.  Listen to what the brother of Jesus says in James 5:16.....”Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other that you may be healed.  The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.”  Have you ever not thought it a bit unusual that James encourages us to confess to each other rather than to God?  Does that mean that he is discouraging us to do the latter by instructing us in the former?  Absolutely not!  It goes without saying that all matter of concerns whether good or bad should always be filtered through and directed to the Creator of the universe.  But, I do think that James is trying to emphasize the importance of a truthful relationship with our brothers and sisters in Christ.  The freedom to speak with absolute openness and honesty without any fear of harsh judgment or retribution is the building block for the most rewarding kind of relationships in life.  Proper confession and healthy sorrow will help any human being weather and survive the occasional storms of guilt and shame most often brought on us by us.  Stress and anxiety tend to find it difficult to establish a home inside of someone who has no inhibitions about telling the truth and being genuine and real.<br><br>Are you having trouble sleeping or staying focused?  Have you lost your appetite and become moody?  Granted, I have no MD in front of my name, but one of the possible causes is that maybe you finally need to be honest with somebody.  Remember, the above verse did say “....that ye may be healed”. Go ahead and give it a try.....you might be surprised at how much better it makes you feel.  In the meantime, I'm seriously considering starting a “Nailbiters 12 Step Program”.  You will know if you need to join me.....just look right now at the ends of your fingers.                                                                                                                       <br>Go the extra mile - Devin<br>    <br>