Merely Irritating

My foot hurt this morning.  While still in bed, I realized that I kept waking up because of a recurring pain. 

Straining to wake up, it seemed like there was something on the inside flesh of my foot that hurt just enough to be annoying.

I ignored it and fell back asleep.  But every time I moved, brushed my foot against the mattress or my leg, the pain returned.

I got up, decided to ignore the issue - it was minor - and got the house going for another school day.  But every few minutes I'd bump something or brush up against something, and I'd notice the pain.  Never enough to cause me to stop, I just kept on.

I did this for a few hours, while everybody got off to school.  But when it came time to get serious about the day, the minor issue became more of a problem.  

So, I stopped what I was doing and headed for the bathroom.  Dug up a pair of tweezers.  Poked around until I found a miniscule sliver of something and removed it.

The problem was gone.

I couldn't help but consider the personal spiritual implications.  They're there.  Suffice it to say that there are things - tiny things that seem almost irrelevant - that I ignore until they really complicate my life.  Merely taking a few minutes to address the issue relieves the problem. Small, it's merely irritating.  Ignored, it grows into something more potent and often dangerous.

But so often, I just can't be bothered, or I put it off, or I just say, "Later."

I suppose I'm not the only one who does this.  And I suppose I'm not the only one who suffers the consequences.