Last June, the Myers crew added a new member to our family, our black Golden Doodle puppy named “Evie” (short for Geneviève). When we brought her home, she was small enough that she could have fit in my backpack. Today, she’s big enough that she could wear my backpack! We have no intention of breeding her in the future, so we made the decision to have her “fixed.” Last October the deed was done.
I took her to Indy early in the morning and left her there to have the surgery done and came back to pick her up later that evening. When they brought her around the corner it was clear that she was still dealing with the effects of the anesthesia, but even more apparent was the giant plastic cone that was encircling her head. It was the very definition of adding insult to injury. Not only was my poor pup dealing with the pain of a surgery in which her insides were cut out, but she now had to wear this monstrosity around, informing all who could see her of the procedure she had just endured. The Pixar movie Up rightly refers to this plastic device as the “cone of shame.” For the most part, we didn’t make Evie wear the “cone of shame.” As long as we were in the house to keep an eye on her to make sure she wasn’t messing with her stitches she is free to move about as normal. But, when it was time to go to bed at night or when we had to leave the house for any reason, on went the “cone of shame.”
I am perfectly aware that while the cone was uncomfortable for Evie, and without question looked hilarious, it was not intended to be an instrument of shame. Rather, that conical collar was intended to be an instrument for her own safety. What felt bad to her at the moment was for her ultimate good. That cone, though frustrating in the moment, was intended to bring about greater healing, wholeness, and strength in the future.
I find that this is true many times in life. Often, things that make us uncomfortable and that appear to be for our detriment often end up being for our good. Throughout the course of our lives, we face many situations and seasons that are less than desirable. In the moment we may feel uncomfortable, ashamed, discouraged, or broken. But, take heart. God is in the business of turning that which feels bad on its head. He is in the business of using our moments of brokenness to bring about wholeness. He has a history of turning our shame into honor. He regularly trades our weakness for His strength. In 2 Corinthians 12:8-10, Paul writes these words about negative situations in his own life:
Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take [the thorn] away from me. But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:8-10, NIV)
Whatever difficulties you may be facing today, I hope you feel the presence of the Savior in your life. Further, I pray that you trust Him and lean hard into Him during your struggles. Trust that in and through your struggles, God will show His strength and give you grace sufficient for your situation. Jesus has a way of using that which feels bad to bring about a greater good.
