I've been burned by you before.
-Featherduster (Beauty and the Beast 1991)

I type this post with a shiny upper lip. I had to apply triple antibiotic ointment like Chapstick after I scratched underneath my nose.  I'd forgotten I had pepper juice on my finger from deseeding an angry jalapeño pepper. It burns something awful. The offender had dark brown seeds. I knew I was in trouble. I can't take the heat. 

This isn't the first time I've been injured by jalepeno seeds. My first experience was rather unpleasant too. I was pregnant with Hayden. Jason and I had made our first "married friends" at our birthing class. We decided to have a picnic at the local park. I found fresh jalepenos for some ridiculous price; I think maybe 29 cents a pound. The seeds were kind of dark but I thought nothing of it. I stuffed pimiento cheese in each pepper half, proud of my efforts. Everything was fine at first. But I remember shortly after, it began to burn underneath my fingernails. The sting didn't go away for days. Scouts honor...The skin under my wedding ring burned too. I can't even remember if we ate them. 

I've fixed stuffed peppers dozens of times since then; sometimes unscathed by their heat. Other times I've reached up to rub my eye after pepper making. Such a mistake. But I keep making them. 

I'm a glutton for punishment. 

Not only when it comes to peppers. 

I've been burned by my own expectations that haven't been met. 

I'm burned out by my commitments when I've made too many. 

Burned by rejection. 

Burned by those I trust and burned by a false sense of security, just to name a few things. 

We've all been burned. Most likely we return to some of those things that burn us; maybe because we can't avoid those things....maybe because we think that next time will be different. Even if we avoid those things which scathe us, we'd run into other sources of suffering. It's just life. It's not IF we're burned but rather when..

 More important than avoiding injury, is finding the balm that heals. 

I haven't found it for the pepper situation. My shiny upper lip still hurts. Thankfully my soul's afflictions are soothed by "The Great Physician". His words bring me comfort. His spirit brings healing. 

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.  When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.  Isaiah 43:2

If anybody knows how to heal pepper burns, let me know.

.......not everybody at once..........

Don't forget to subscribe if you don't want to miss a post.