I’ve been having a flashback lately and it scares me from moving forward.

Recently we completed a couple of projects in our basement. We put new flooring in our downstairs bathroom and added rubber flooring mats throughout our workout room. 

This was all well and good, but there is still one more step in order to be finished with these projects: I have to put three doors back on their hinges. 

It’s not that hard a task. But, because of the height of the new flooring, I have to cut the bottoms off each of the doors. 

That’s what has caused my flashback. 

I’ve been sleeping restlessly lately. Maybe our bedroom has been too hot, but the real reason could be that I’m dreading having to cut these doors.

You see, I have some history with these doors. I was the one who originally hung them in the first place. I was the one who cut the bottoms of the doors off when they were first installed.

And in those days I was having issues with sharp objects.

In a short period of time I cut myself for stitches twice! The worst time was when I was cutting off the bottom of one of these doors. 

There were a couple of things working against me then: I didn’t have the proper saw and I didn’t have the doors lying flat on a table or workbench of some kind. 

Instead, I held the end of the door up with one hand and sawed it with my other. It was not stable at all. 

The saw I was using was a keyhole saw which had a thin, tapered, toothy blade. 

Well, with the instability, the blade easily found my finger – the base of my index finger on my left hand. 

There was blood everywhere. Three ceiling panels were ruined with blood splatter that could have made it on the set of a CSI television show. 

I couldn’t stop the bleeding, so I had to hold my finger with my other hand while Lily drove me to the hospital. 

I got about seven stitches and the doctor was stunned that I hadn’t cut the tendon that was right close to the cut. 

All in all, I haven’t forgotten that incident. 

So as I’m anticipating having to cut the bottoms off of three doors – one of them being the very door I went to the hospital over – ya, I’m having a flashback. 

What I have going for me this time, though, is more tools to get the job done … and I have quite a few of them now. 

My most recent weapon is an oscillating multi-tool. This tool has come in really handy cutting off the bottoms of the door moulding. 

That tool is not going to work on the doors themselves, but now I have a circular saw. So with the circular saw and a firm base to work on, I should be able to keep the cuts just on the doors.

Here’s the thing: Though sins that we repeat over and over are difficult to deal with, try using some new tools to keep you from those sins. Intentionally guard and protect your circumstances and settings to keep you from giving in to the temptation to sin. When you do, you’ll also eliminate the flashbacks and be able to move forward. 

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What causes a flashback for you? Leave your comments and questions below. 

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