Do you remember Mercurochrome? It was a red substance that was put on cuts and bruises. I thought my family had stock in the company. When I limped into the house bruised and battered from the days ill advised adventures I was first warned of the dangers of getting blood, mud, dirt, or me on anything. Then I was banished to the basement for treatment. I had a choice of Mercurochrome or alcohol to clean the wounds. I chose alcohol…. once. Depending on how “great” a day I had, I was then covered with red Mercurochrome blotches to heal my wounds, then scolded for destroying another pair of pants, shirt or both and shooed back outside to heal before dinner. I met up with my buddies in the alley for the next adventure. Their parents had Mercurochrome stock too and we all looked like we had been through some battles.
As an adult I can only say “I don’t look like what I been through….”
Broken home and feeling lost.. There was a job I really wanted but didn’t get. I felt like a failure. I was frozen with fear when I heard the word cancer. I was perplexed at the idea of telling Janet how terrified I was as “we” battled this thing. I was a man. No show of fear or indecision could be tolerated. I was hurt and disappointed by the bumps in the road to recovery. I turned inward almost imploding. It was unacceptable to be seen this way so I tried to hide the paralyzing fear…
Those were my tests and now my testimony…
Failure, Indecisive, Bewilderment, Terror, Confusion, Battered and Bruised
God’s Mercurochrome is the blood of the lamb. It will wash and heal your bruises without the red blotches… (and He won’t scold you..)
By the grace of God I don’t look like what I been through….
