FLOSSING

I recently had to have some dental work done. It takes a bite out of you in more than your teeth. As with each visit to the dentist (or the hygienist) they end by telling and showing how to floss better. You know… take the little piece of rope and wrap it around your fists and slide it forth and back and back and forth between your teeth until they bleed and make your eyes water. I think flossing was probably forbidden in Leviticus Law.

When I got home and had some quiet time to think about Dental Floss, the thought came that I also might need Mental Floss. Brain plaque builds up just like tooth plaque. ‘Plaque is a sticky film that coats teeth and contains bacteria. If plaque is not removed on a regular basis, it will harden and turn into tartar (calculus).’ That explains Mental Plaque just as well, things in our minds that have turned to tartar. Hardened things like un-forgiveness, shame, guilt, unmanaged anger, a critical spirit, racism, etc. Stuff that needs to be removed.

Mental Floss is for removing Mental Plaque. It may start with acceptance and repentance, and move to meditation, therapy, prayer, silence, solitude, nature, or joy… Whatever is causing decay and rot needs to be removed from our teeth, our minds, souls and spirits. It starts by dragging that string.

“And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the old skins would burst from the pressure, spilling the wine and ruining the skins. New wine is stored in new wineskins so that both are preserved.” Jesus