Lessons from a Cold Sore...

I have this huge thing on the side of my lip, and it is my first cold sore that did not involve a spate of anesthetics or a sickness caught in Brasil. Nope, this is a straight up, "legit" cold sore.

It's so humbling. I mean, people get them all the time, but "I ain't people". I don't get them. I feel like everyone can see it, and everyone is staring. This is going to take a lesson in a lot of patience, not to mention the $17.79 tube of 2g worth of Abreva. Here's hoping.

My body is not responding well to stress. I have a cold, which I believe is attached to my spring allergies, and this nasty cough which is taking a toll on breathing. *sigh*

But you all didn't come here to read about me moaning over the complexities of life and body. You came because you wanted to read about what I could possibly learn from a cold sore.

Well, I learned that there are five stages to a cold sore. The first is the early stage, where you feel a tingle where the cold sore will form, but there is no sign of it yet. Then there is the blister stage (where I am at), where blisters form. Then the ulcer stage, when the blisters pop, and leave gaping sores, and finally the scabbing stage, where a "golden-brown" crust appears. Lastly, the healing stage, where the cold sore starts to, well, heal.

This process kind of reminded me of what it's like to go through that painful time in life. At first you don't realize it's happening, but all of a sudden, it's there, blistering and painful. Just when you think things couldn't get worse, the blister pops, leaving the ulcer, and you feel open, exposed, vulnerable to anything. Slowly but surely, over time, the scabbing starts, and there are feelings of hope, but a rememberance of what you went through. Ultimately, God helps in the healing stage, when it gets better, and life isn't so harsh again. This IS a process. Life IS hard. But we have to wait it out. We need to be humble, because it can happen to anybody.

And, best of all, God is with us through the whole thing. Yes, he helps in the healing stage, but he is with us when the blister forms, and when it bursts. God loves us enough to carry us through. The problems in life are meant to make us stronger, to refine us, and to help us remember our dependence on our Maker.

I can get through this...7 more days...

Love,
Ashleigh