I was building a bookshelf when the screwdriver slipped and drove into the flesh of my forefinger. Not too deep, but deep enough to pierce all the layers of skin and get some blood flowing. I wanted to keep working and didn’t want a mess so I went to the bathroom, washed the wound and wrapped it in a bandage.
There was a time when I believed that all wounds healed better when open to the air, but eventually experience showed me something different. Now I’m a bandaider.
A bandage protects a wound from the aggravation and ongoing damage of everyday bumps and scrapes. It also shields from the infectious bugs that lurk in everything from handshakes to handling money. Sometimes a bandage is the solution.
It has made me wonder whether our minds, hearts, and relationships might heal better with a bandage. We live in an age that believes every psychological wound is better healed when exposed to the open air. Sometimes this is true. But when would it be better just to wrap up our wound and create a buffer between us and the relationships and experiences that could aggravate or infect our wound? A bandage is not forever, and it doesn’t cover everything. It’s just for a little while and only where we’re hurt. Sometimes a bandaid solution is just what’s needed. When it’s better, toss the bandage away.