To Stick or Not to Stick - Sticky Stuff

Sticky is not all it's cracked up to be.

I just finished attaching used, ironed dryer sheets to the top of greeting cards. Sounds odd, yes, but it is a new trend I've noticed in the world of creativity. The dryer sheets give a sort of gauzy finish to card creations.

The problem is to get said dryer sheets to stick to said greeting cards. A component of that problem is that the adhesive cannot be visible through the dryer sheet. I tried many options like adhesive spray, glue stick, double-sided tape, and even a glue pen. There is no going there with those items.

The solution came down to good old Elmer's school glue. A certain small amount of card warp-age is visible, but since it is a negligible amount, that can be ignored.

And then I started considering sticky things.

~ cockleburs (ouch)
~ syrup (yummy)
~ cookie dough (double yum)
~ road tar (ugh)
~ doggy poo (triple ugh)
~ hairspray (necessary evil)
~ peanut butter (sticks to our mouth and our backsides)
~ tree pitch (lasts forever)
~ bubblegum
~ toffee

Some things we like to stick. We enjoy the tasty items, not minding leftover residues of stick.

But other items are on the do-not-like list. Maybe on the downright-gross-don't-let-it-touch-me list.

For those icky-sticky's, we go all out to conquer the stick. We scrape, cut out, scrub, pick, sanitize, and resort to other elaborate means of sticky-removal.

In my spiritual life, I sometimes have the same policy of stick.

I like some things, even enjoy them and seek them out. Singing, reading my Bible, praying, reading good books, spending time in nature, writing, and going to church are just a few activities that impact my personal relationship with the Lord. I let these endeavors stick to my soul.

Life gets in the way. At times, deadlines scrape off my scheduled Bible time. Emergencies peel away my song. Illness and exhaustion wash away my interest in writing. Discouragement picks away at church responsibilities. Tight schedules keep me locked away from nature. Distractions run through my head like mini-video clips and keep me from focusing during prayer.

And sometimes, icky sticky's litter my life. A bit of gossip (not cool), poor language choices (oh, my), whiny and unthankful attitude (yes, at times), forgetfulness (what?), and judging (sorry!) are some negative things that have great stick. I don't want them, but somehow I end up with these sticky nasties.

What I need is to apply that school glue to those habits I want to adhere. I can let the non-essential or negative stickies fall away, but I want to grasp tightly to what is good and pure. My soul desires that I stick to Jesus, rather, stick with Jesus. He is able to keep me stuck together regardless of circumstances.

Maybe sticky is all it's cracked up to be. If one is sticky for the right reasons.