Hurtful Words
Using your imagination, imagine a 4-by-4 oak timber. Imagine a large nail. Now take the nail and drive it deeply into the log, not so deep that you cannot pull it out again, but very deep. Now pull it out with your claw hammer. As you look at it you realize the hole is ugly and not appropriate for that lovely piece of wood. So you get some wood putty and fill the hole as much as you can. Wait for it to dry and then start sanding, rough grit at first and eventually with a fine sandpaper. You can no longer feel the hole, but you can see it nonetheless. So you get some sanding sealer, apply that, and sand it, then another coat, and sand it silky smooth. Then a coat of paint, let it dry, and another coat of paint and let it dry, and finally a last coat of paint. When it is dry you can no longer see or feel the hole.Hooray ... but take a splitter and split the log in two from the top. When you do that you will see the nail hole. It is all the way through, never to be filled. Now I will tell you—perhaps you have guessed. The nail is a harsh hurtful word, the wood is someone’s heart. It may be covered in forgiveness, sanded with love and care, but can never be erased or forgotten.
