Change

Four years ago my brief mountain biking stint came to a sudden conclusion on one windy Abilene, Texas afternoon. In the midst of riding a trail on this fated day, I went through a patch aptly titled “Cactus Minefield.” The evil wind huffed and puffed with such vigor that would blow even Lance Armstrong off his bike. Despite my best effort to right my faltering bike, the wind won. I lost. The cactus lost, she lost her spines. My face, neck, arm, hand, leg and torso adroitly recovered the prodigal cactus spines.
When I finally arrived back to my house an hour later, my nurse wife began a lengthy process of attempting to remove these spines, but even the most skilled medical professional couldn’t remove all the little devils that occupied my body. To this day one still remains entrenched in the palm of my hand.



For the last four years I had grown accustomed to living with it, but now it is starting to annoy me. So my question for you is do I leave it or try to cut it out?

Please hear the analogy of this little devil in my hand to the wounds, bitterness, and destructive habits we carry around with us for years and not make the effort to try to remove them because we have grown accustomed to living with them.

We make serious life change when the pain to remain exceeds the pain to change.


UPDATE: (10.27)
Over the weekend a friend who doesn't read the blog invited me to go mountain biking. I quickly turned him down. Unfortunately for him while riding he broke his hand. I think I am just bad luck.