Itchy.

This is so gross, buy my skin is so itchy right now. Despite all attempts to sooth the itchiness, it still itches.  It's actually proved to be quite the challenge today, and I think I failed at some points.  I was slightly irritable towards my family.  More than once.  Not being able to itch my scabs, while dealing with peely skin is nasty.  I feel like Eustice in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader; I have all these itchy scales on me, and they just won't come off.  I can't pick them either.

The illustration that C.S. Lewis uses in one of the Chronicles of Narnia is with a snotty young boy name Eustice.  He stumbles upon treasure while exploring an island with is cousins, and he turns into a dragon.  It is a bit far-fetched, but my favorite part of this illustration comes when Aslan jumps in to the rescue.  Eustice tries and tries to scratch the scales away, but the attempts are futile.  Then, he allows Aslan to pick the scales off one by one (a less painful option), but (I think) they come back.  Finally, Aslan has to rip open the skin on the back of the dragon, and pull it off so that Eustice can escape the curse of dragonhood.

It's incredibly graphic, but incredibly true.  Sometimes the re-shaping of our hearts and lives is painful, but it is well worth it.  Jesus has to take all of our baggage in order for healing to come.  He has to dig into the deepest, dirtiest parts of our lives in order for us to be free.  And I'm so thankful for him.  One, that he is willing and ready to do that, but that I can trust him with those things.  Itchiness is temporary, but trusting him can last forever.  Thank you, Jesus!

I can't believe it is already a new year.  I'm so excited for 2011, and I'm itching to see what it holds.  (Sorry, couldn't help myself.  : )