Pebble In my Shoe

I was dressed and ready for my morning walk.
It has been a bit cold in the mornings, so a heavy coat and lightweight gloves are worn.
I tied my sneakers…ready to go.

As I walked through my kitchen, ready to embark on my two mile walk, my shoe was terribly uncomfortable.
Something was in my shoe.
I sat down on one of the benches around our long table to see what was wrong.

Nothing.
I shook the sneaker.
Out fell the tiniest pebble.
So small that it was imperceptible…except for when I walked on it!

How can something this small be such an annoyance?

Of course, my love of books, and stories, and words thought of only one thing.
The Princess and the Pea…a fairy tale by Hans Christian Anderson.

The story was about a prince who was searching for a suitable wife.
He finds fault with most of the women he has met.
He must be sure the woman he chooses is truly a princess before he would ever marry her.

One stormy night, a woman drenched from the pouring rain, comes to the castle.
She claims to be a princess and seeks shelter there for the night.
The mother of the prince decides to test her to see if she really is a princess.

She places a small pea underneath twenty mattresses and twenty feather beds.
In the morning, the princess tells of her sleepless night.
She speaks of something hurting her…causing her to toss and turn in the bed.
She is sure that she is bruised from whatever was in her bed.

The prince is delighted.
Only a real princess would be sensitive enough to have such discomfort.
They are married at once.

I always enjoyed this story.
I received a collection of fairy tales as a gift when I was a child.
It was a boxed set of miniature books…with this story in the collection.
I loved looking at the pictures.
I always envisioned myself on top of the high bed.
I was never quite sure if I would have known there was a small pea under the mattresses.

For I am about to fall, and my pain is ever with me.
I confess my iniquity; I am troubled by my sin. (Psalm 38:18)

Sin is like the pebble in my shoe.
Sin is like the small pea under all the mattresses.

Sin seems innocent enough.
It is so miniscule…it won’t hurt anyone.
No one will ever notice.

Like the pebble or the pea…sin is more than an annoyance.
Sin will bruise!
We must have God-given sensitivity to realize that fact.

But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. When He comes, He will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin, because men do not believe in Me.
(John 16:7-9)

Is it possible that the Holy Spirit, the Counselor, can help us detect even the smallest sin?
Yes!

We serve a risen King.
As sons and daughters of that King, we must have sensitivity to sin.

The Holy Spirit gives us the ability to discern even the smallest sin…the tiniest bruise.
We can foolishly continue to walk around with a pebble in our shoe.
We can continue to sleep on mattresses with imperceptible discomforts.

There is a better way!
We must admit that we are bruised.
We must admit that we cannot rest, or sleep, until the hurtful sin is removed.
Our sin must be confessed.

Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it. (Genesis 4:6,7)

Sin is insidious.
It masquerades as an annoyance.
In reality, sin is crouching…waiting…ready to pounce on the unsuspecting victim.

To be bruised by sin is a good thing.
Once the root of the problem is determined, it can be remedied.

We must never continue to walk on a pebble.
We must never be content to walk around, bruised with sin.

Pebbles get into our shoes.
Sin will continue to hurt us…and others…this side of heaven.

We have a King who delights when we are sensitive to sin.
We have a King who rejoices when we admit we have bruises.
We have a King who is ready to accept us…bruises and all…as His bride.

Sensitive to sin.
Bruised.
Accepted.
Loved.

Glorious Grace!