before I begin....I have to give thanks for my daughter.  19 years ago she rocked my world and changed me.  I've never been the same and I'm grateful for the changes her life has made to mine.  I'm a better and happier person.

As a kid I remember having head lice.  The worst of it was the nightly itch....it was aweful!  I had long hair so having my Mom spend the hours combing it was no fun and it hurt, but the worst was still the itch.  and the shame.  My Mom was awesome, but somehow I had the impression this was something people were embrassed by.  When my own kids had lice it was again the shame that got me.  I would watch as well meaning people would spread the word, point and talk...and I would feel the shame.

Bed Bugs!  They are an epidemic in Cincinnati and everyone is capable of getting them.  People recently got them....no big deal right?....no, people got caught in the shame of it.  Something completely out of control that makes people afraid others would judge us....shame.

There are moments all over where shame is spread...it's a relationship breaker.  It also weeds out the people who truly love us from the ones who just want the gossip.  Those who truly love us help us out in those moments.  They show kindness and compassion. 

Relationship breakers are all over the place...the moments we choose to break relationship or hurt another person or belittle another person.  The opportunities to think ourselves somehow better than another.  Family arguments, nasty comments out of hurt feelings, harsh words, turning of the back and walking away, silence instead of love....ok, the list could go on.  Let's face another big one....if your first thought is the sin of the other person than you really need to turn that finger back inward and take a good hard look at yourself.  That's all I'll lecture on the self thing....

I truly believe faith is about relationships....us and God....us with each other.  I truly believe that's the broken part of life.  Walking to the cross...to a place of forgiveness....don't we also need to look at how we break our relationships...how we need to seek forgiveness with the other....how we need to fix our own selves....

Lord, Forgive me for hurting others.

It may turn out that the greatest shamesful moments in our lives turn into the greatest blessings.  I know what I thought was shameful at one time has been one of the best adventures of my life.

Lord, help me to see you turn the shame into a blessing.