Using Tools Poorly

The back of a box of Walgreens brand Double-Tip Cushioned Cotton Swabs (Q-Tips, basically) reads, in part, "CAUTION: DO NOT ENTER EAR CANAL. USE ONLY AS DIRECTED." This box of "Double-Tip Cushioned Cotton Swabs" was one of the aforementioned, hope-bringing tools I acquired recently to help me solve the problem of having clogged ears.

However, I will no longer be using them for that purpose because, despite the amount of earwax they were able to remove, I'm concerned that they also pushed earwax further into my ears, where it causes the clogging condition I was trying to cure. Frankly, using these cotton swabs to try to clean my ears was probably doing more harm than good, and I will now stick to using the "Earwax Removal Aid" solution as closely to "as directed" as I can manage.

In life, we are given many tools, all of which are wonderfully useful, if we use them correctly. There are many good ways to use these tools, and also many ways to misuse them. It is our job to learn to be careful with how and when we use each tool. Thankfully, some of them come with instructions, and God gives us directions for how to use others. Other tools, we can figure out by being prudent and listening to sound advice, including the warning labels on the backs of the boxes. With wisdom and good judgment, we can learn to use our tools well.

I regret having used my tools poorly, and I hope that I haven't caused too much harm to myself. I still have high hopes that this problem is merely temporary, especially if I use my tools more wisely from now on.