Q-Tips, Blind Spots, and Clean Caves

Jesus said, “Anyone who has ears, let them hear.” I can now hear clearly—thanks to my wife, Ashley. In fact, I think I may have the cleanest ears in town.

Before I got married, I rarely considered the need to clean my ears. I’m not sure I know any guys who wake up in the morning and say, “It’s time to clean my ears!”  I think it was also partially because God chose to strategically place my ears on the side of my head, and I really struggled to see inside the dark caves which led to my ear drums.

Because I couldn’t see it, I didn’t think about it. Whatever was happening inside my pinnas was out of sight and out of mind. This all changed after the first long road trip I took with my bride after we tied the knot.

She spent multiple hours sitting in the passenger seat staring at the side of my head. Her vantage point allowed her to see what I couldn’t see. A few days after we returned, she approached me and flashed a pretty newlywed smile, and said, “Would you let me clean your ears?”

So this is what happens when you get married, I thought to myself as I watched her dig for a few Q-Tips in the bathroom drawer. She looked so innocent and cute as she asked a second time; I couldn’t say no.

She was anything but cute as she drove that cotton swab deep in my ear like a miner digging for gold. I squirmed and cautioned her to please spare my brain cells as she embarked on her own efforts to dig to China (see previous entry).

When all was said and done, I was surprised by how well I could actually hear. I flashed my own smile and said, “I should have done that years ago! This is amazing.”

I have since graduated to the point of cleaning my own ears—most of the time—and I’m committed to spending the rest of my life with clean caves. I’m also thankful Ashley saw my blind spot and possessed the courage to show me a better way.

Isn’t it true that we all have blind spots? We all have areas of our lives that remain out of sight and out of mind. Perhaps we’ve grown so accustomed to the gunk that we assume our current way of living is normal. All the while, God sees our blind spots, and He desires to show us a better way.

The Apostle Paul writes to a young Timothy and states: “Keep a close watch on yourself.” This is trusted counsel.  In addition to inspecting our own lives, let’s take it a step further and grant God permission to reveal what we can’t see. Let’s possess the courage to pray the following prayer: God, show me my blind spots.

This is the prayer I prayed a while ago as I invited God to open my eyes to see where I was unknowingly missing the mark. He happily obliged, and I had an “Aha” moment the very next day. In essence, God revealed that I had slipped into a pattern of caring too much about what other people thought. I was becoming a people pleaser, and I didn’t even recognize it.

While it wasn't necessarily enjoyable to see an aspect of my life that needed to change, I also realized that a deeper level of freedom and joy were around the corner. I trusted that God was showing me a better way.

Which is why I didn't squirm too much as I sensed Him digging in the drawer for a few cotton swabs. He had some cleaning to do...