Headaches..

So I have felt a headache coming on off and on for awhile now..and the tiny dull pain above and to the left of my left eye is starting to become more persistent. Part of me..a LOT of me actually, finds this pretty unfortunate considering I have homework and, well, don't like headaches. However, it also hit me only hours ago that it's been awhile since I had a headache. Only months ago I got them weekly, sometimes almost daily. And for some reason it took me getting one now to remind me that I don't have them as much anymore. This, I can appreciate.

Now for the probably ridiculously bad analogy..if you'd call this an analogy.. In any case, the part of me that likes to find underlying principles and random object lessons in everyday things can't resist, so here it goes.

A lot of times there are things we've done or said in life that are like our headaches. Maybe it's addiction. Maybe it's just the way we once treated people. For those have come to follow Christ, maybe it's your old way of life in general. In any case, these are things that, at some point, plague us regularly. Later on when we break free of their hold, we may wish we could forget them altogether and not have to face the guilt of them again. However, in many cases we sometimes do look back and feel that old familiar pain. We may fall into these things we regret, or we may just feel guilty or ashamed. This is not enjoyable at all. No more than a headache is enjoyable.

However, while we may wish to abolish these painful memories, perhaps they do serve some purpose. Sometimes it takes a hint of pain to remind us that we no longer have a headache every day, that we've been free. If we never feel anything, we might take for granted just how awesome it's been to live headache free. Similarly, perhaps those memories can help us to better appreciate how far God has brought us, how much freer we have become. That's not to say that living in guilt and shame for past mistakes is good or advantageous; rather, perhaps remembering the way we used to be can bolden the contrast between today and yesterday, helping us to see just how much God has really done in us.

Again, this is a VERY weak and possibly confusing analogy..but I don't know, it's just a thought.