A Pile of Poop

Today, I had to do one of the chores I hate the most.  I had to pooper scoop my lawn.  One of the drawbacks of having a very large dog is that there are smelly landmines all over my yard.  It's not so bad during the day, but at night, it is a battlefield.  One wrong step in the dark and you're cleaning your shoes for 30 minutes with a toothbrush.  We have even assigned this job as punishment for our children if they refuse to do the jobs we have given them around the house.  Picture my son with a bandana wrapped around his nose whining about the smell and how life is unfair as he picks up doggy presents around my yard.  Because I despise this duty (sorry for the pun) so much, my husband was thoughtful enough to buy me a pooper scooper for Christmas.  You heard me right.  For Christmas, my husband bought me a tool to pick up doggy poop.  How romantic!  Believe it or not, I actually like this gift.  Why?  Because it gives me a little distance from the stink and mess.  Now, let's look at this from a spiritual angle.  As humans, we create messes in our lives.  There have been times that my behavior was foul.  Blame it on crankiness, PMS, or being hangry, but it still has the same results.  It creates an environment that keeps those I love from wanting to be close- much like the piles of poo.  But unlike my handy pooper scooper, I can't just pick up the messes and chunk it away.  My words are lasting.  I can apologize.  Others can forgive, but I've still created a gap in trust.  What can I do?  The good news is that even though we may not be able to remove our messes, God can.  The Bible mentions that though our sins are like scarlet, they can be white as snow.  Our sins can be removed as far as the east is from the west.  This puts us in good standing with God, but what about those around us that we hurt?  Even though my dog keeps leaving messes for me to clean up, I won't get rid of him.  Why?  Because I love him.  His affection, faithfulness, and love makes the messes worthwhile.  How do you make things right with those you hurt?  Begin to show kindness, love, faithfulness, and mercy.  Let's face it.  Anytime someone suddenly starts being nice, we all question how genuine their kindness is.  But after time, those who have really changed their lives prove genuine through consistency.  The mercy and kindness doesn't turn off when it gets hard.  I've been hurt by others in my life before, but it doesn't mean I throw them out simply because they sometimes stink and make my life messy.  Having them in my life brings more joy than having a mess-free life.

 Have a great week high-heeled warrior!

Comments

  1. UnknownJanuary 30, 2020 at 9:53 AM

    Beautiful word! Sorry you had to pick up poop to be reminded of it!

    ReplyDelete

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