Make the cut!

A few weeks ago, a loved one of mine went to the doctor for a simple mole check.  She has a history of skin melanoma, and it was determined a few suspicious moles needed to be removed.

A few weeks after the procedure, she was notified that it would be necessary to remove a bigger ring around the suspected area for more testing.  A larger halo.  A bigger cut and more stitches would follow.  More healing time.

Perhaps if the intention on the first cut were to remove enough to prevent the spread of  misbehaving cells, the cut would have had enough girth in diameter to complete the task in one swipe.  It seems that the intention was to test, then purge later.

How often could we take a full swipe at learning life's lessons all in one swath if our intentions were centered?  Forgiveness is an area that I will timidly tip my toe into periodically to test the water, with a small shallow cut, to see what the outcomes could potentially be.  How much pain will surface as a result?  If I just encapsulate this small amount and skimp on the edges, what shortcuts can justify a heartless attempt at forgiving?

On the flip side, if my intentions were full and centered on complete forgiveness, I would take a wide cut, missing nothing on the sides or in the hidden corners of my heart.  I would wipe it all out at once, leaving nothing to fester or cause a need for attention and prolonged healing.

Let's make the cut.  In one big sweep, clean out the whatever the infestation may be.  Forgive completely, from edge to edge so those stitches can mend the entire wound.  A week after the initial cut is not the time for another cut.  One cut can be enough.  Make it wide, hide nothing, stitch it up, let it heal, and love the scar.