A Jagged Edge

<p>With a sickening crunch, a piece of my tooth snapped at the back of my mouth. Shocked, I momentarily paused, anxious about how broken it would be. Carefully taking out the broken piece of the tooth, I realized it was a tiny fragment.</p><p>.</p><p>"I can live with it until my next dentist appointment," I foolishly thought. "I’m booked in for a check-up in a couple of months anyway."</p><p>.</p><p>How wrong was I? Within hours, I found that the jagged edge of my tooth was scraping my tongue. It was stabbing me so much that I struggled to speak properly and kept piercing the offending wound. I knew I would have to do something about it. I could not live with the pain.</p><p>.</p><p>Thankfully, the dental clinic could fit me in. The dentist smoothed away the sharp edge and patched it up to stop the pain until my tooth could be fixed properly at my next appointment.</p><p>.</p><p>Sometimes my own life has a jagged edge. In this imperfect world I live in, I constantly make mistakes and choose the wrong decisions. When I do, whether it’s a tiny or colossal error, it still has the power to hurt me or others. And when I sin, it also harms my relationship with God. The Holy Spirit prompts me and reminds me that, like my tooth, my relationship with God needs repairing.</p><p>.</p><p>How wonderful that we have Jesus, who heals our broken relationship with God. Because Jesus took all our sins upon Himself when He went to the cross, and then defeated sin and death when He rose from the grave, everyone who puts their trust in Jesus is forgiven and brought near to God. Whenever we mess up, we can come to our loving Father, who is always ready to forgive us and restore what’s been broken. • Cindy Lee</p><p>.</p><p>• Are you living with regrets for something you did wrong in the past? Whenever we experience guilt, Jesus invites us to repent: to turn away from our sin and come to Him for forgiveness and healing. Consider taking a moment to write down or simply reflect on particular sins you’ve committed, and then offer them up