A Simple Cure for Venom in your Veins

Venom coursed through my veins. No matter what I tried, I couldn’t get my mind to switch away from unkind, frowning thoughts! Everything irritated me – from the sound of my alarm clock to the person next to me at the traffic light putting on her mascara to William’s insistence on reading on the way to school. Clearly, he hadn’t read the parenting magazines which say the best time for tween conversation is in the car. (Perhaps his insistence was related to my mood that morning, but I digress.)

I sat silently and sullenly in my car before walking into the next place I needed to be. That morning I’d read 1 Peter 2 and the phrase “that they may see your good deeds” looped through my mind.  My deeds would appear good, but my heart wasn’t on board with the goodness.  I rolled my eyes internally and thought, well, aren’t I a joy to be around today? Guess I’ll fake it ‘til I make it. I sighed one of those ridiculously long, deep sighs, grabbed my bag and started to walk in, despite my mood.

My thoughts drifted to a recent morning walk.  We live on a street that connects on both ends with another street, in such a way that it forms an oval.  Inside the oval are three man-made ponds.  The inner ponds have a sidewalk around them, too.  Walking the outside oval and inside ovals back to back make an easy walk with our little Boxer-girl, Fasbee.  (Aside from having to keep a tight hold on the leash in case of bunny sightings!) So, it is one of my most common paths. 

As I rounded the corner and stepped into the inner oval sidewalk that runs along the ponds, I heard the gurgle of the water falling gently over the rocks and the quiet spray of the fountains.  It was a gentle and soothing sound – a perfect background noise for our steps.  But then… I looked at the water.  The water was this odd bluish green man-made color.  A thick coating of blue tinted foam frothed around the rocks.  A dense forest of dark green algae floated around the narrowest part.  This water sounded peaceful but was clearly full of a disturbing amount of dirt and grime. 

I wondered about the connection to our hearts.  How often do our smiles and words look and sound lovely?  We say the right things, check off the good deeds from our to do list.  But, inside – in the water of our souls – there is dirt and grime and filth.

I know I’m not alone in this feeling – especially this time of year.  Much has been written about what May does to our hearts and minds and souls.  From Jen Hatmaker’s near-famous “Worst End of School Year Mom Ever” to this “Why Moms Deserve Parenting Wins, No Matter How Small” by Karen Gauvreau, to the three texts this morning from friends who feel like they’ve somehow dropped the proverbial ball in their current season.  The doom shows up.  Our hearts fall. We wake up one morning with venomous thoughts foaming and an algae-forest clogging our souls.  We’ve failed, again.

This was the picture of my heart on this particularly venomous morning.  It was not full of calm, soothing thoughts.  The dirty foam spumed all around my soul.  I pulled open the door with my shoulders hunched and my brow furrowed.

Only steps later, “Hey!! I love it when I see your face walk through the door!” a friend exclaimed and wrapped me in a quick hug. Her voice and greeting jarred me from the memory.  Full stop. Ummm, what?

I couldn’t help but smile – and not the fake it ‘til you make it kind. But I smiled from my face down into the deepest part of my soul – and in that instant, the venom left my veins, the algae-froth dissipated, and both were replaced by the clear-water, kindness of a friendly word. The trajectory of my day changed immediately.  My shoulders straightened, my face relaxed and my eyes opened to all the goodness around me – the kindness of friends, the laughter of tiny learners, the way God meets my needs when I can’t even articulate what those needs might be. Unknowingly, with a simple, kind word and a quick hug, my friend gave me the gift of clear, quiet water in that moment. Good and cool and satisfying.  Able to beautifully quench my deepest thirsts. 

In Matthew 10, Jesus gives his disciples instructions as they go out to heal and follow Jesus’ lead in loving people.  He says:

 “And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.” – Matthew 10:42

Matthew 10:42

Friends, is it possible you are where you are today in this exact moment simply to offer a cup of cold water?  If you think something kind: say the words, give the blessing, speak the goodness.  You never know how your words could be the clear water someone’s soul might need.

“… let us draw near to God with a sincere heart, in full assurance that comes from trusting – with our hearts sprinkled clean from bad conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.  Let us continue holding fast to the hope we acknowledge, without wavering; for the One who made the promise is trustworthy.  And let us keep paying attention to one another, in order to spur each other on to love and good deeds…”

Hebrews 10:22-25 (emphasis mine)

What about you? Have you ever woken up with venom in your veins, but a friend’s simple comment changed the trajectory of your day?  Or has someone spoken a blessing over you at the exact moment you needed it, but you didn’t know you needed it?  I’d love to hear about it.  Send me an email or comment below.  I’d love to hear your story! 

Hugs and Blessings, Bethany