GARBAGE CANS ARE NOT LAWN DECORATIONS

 

There is nothing more welcoming than walking up to a house on a cleanly swept sidewalk, leading to a well-lit porch and knocking on a door that is freshly painted and in good repair.  It is not only inviting but hints at the serene restfulness that lies beyond the door; a clean, neat home.  No matter how awesome the inside of your house is laid out or beautifully decorated, a weedy lawn, broken down toys, strewn trash and the lack of or overgrown landscaping can ruin the picture. 

For years we were perfectly happy to use a 32 gallon Roughneck, Rubbermaid garbage can to hide our garbage until “trash day.”  We could keep it in our garage or hidden discreetly behind the house out of public view.  Then about a year ago, our trash collector decided to be more efficient and automate the collection trucks which meant giving every resident two monster, bright blue 95 gallon trash cans.  Well nothing is more inviting or says “come sit a spell” than adding a couple of garbage cans to your landscaping.  Fortunately, we have a side-entry garage which provides a small alcove at the side of the house to hide the ugly, gigantic, blue plastic receptacles.

And about that ugly, gigantic, blue plastic receptacle, most of us seem to have one in our life.  It has a name; we call it FACEBOOK.  Not everything on Facebook is garbage and not everyone lets it “all hang out” marring the awesome picture of the beautiful you.  I love to see the pictures of your kids and grandkids, the beautiful sunsets and exciting vacation pictures but I can live happily ever after without seeing a picture of your surgical scar complete with stitches, your swollen toe and yesterday’s prize, a medical bag full of the contents that had been drained out of a lung.  I don’t need to read the hints about what someone is saying about you, either tell the story, complete with names or better yet, go tell the person to “shut up,” either way, I don’t need to step over your garbage.  If your husband is a jerk and your kids won’t talk to you, pray for them or send me a prayer request and I will pray for them, but please don’t set the garbage cans on your front porch.

What do people see as they walk up to the “door” of your life?  Is it warm and inviting?  Is the love shining through your eyes and a welcoming smile saying, “come in and sit for a while?”  OR do you have your garbage sitting out for the entire world to see and the wind to scatter until bits are even blown into the lives of your friends and neighbors?  We all have garbage in our life that must be dealt with but PUHLEEZE keep it discreetly in the can behind the garage, I don’t want to have to wade through it before I get to the real you.

THE GIFT OF SHALT NOT

As all the Facebook devotees know, under each post is the opportunity for the reader to give a “THUMBS UP” signifying “good post,” “I agree” or that really “hit a nerve.”  Look again; there is no “THUMBS DOWN” for the reader to click in disagreement.  Oh you can put a L or type “dislike” in the comments but who does that?  No one wants to appear negative.  No, we live in an “AFFIRMING” society where anything you choose is ok and the right choice for you.  Sadly, I have witnessed this “HYPER-AFFIRMATION” become the downfall of many movie and rock stars, politicians, preachers and loved ones.

It is tempting to surround ourselves with ONLY positive, affirming friends and if anyone dares question or use the word, NO, they are swiftly deleted, defriended or if unable to be eliminated, pushed to the outskirts of our tight-knit little circle of admirers.  I have to admit that my first thought at receiving an online rebuke for a post was not humble or spiritual.  My first thought was, “How dare you” and “Who do you think you are anyway.”  The Holy Spirit has a way of stopping us, however, and allowing us to think for just a moment.  Words do matter and to make sure we speak those things that are true, kind, lovely, edifying and with the right motives, every now and then we need someone in our life that says, “NO.”

The Word of God is full of affirming statements.  “We are loved with an everlasting love.”  “Nothing shall separate us from the love of God.”  “I will never leave you or forsake you.”  “Beloved, now are we the sons of God.”  Now that we feel all “warm and fuzzy,” we need to remember that all of these affirmations are anchored to THOU SHALT NOTs!!!  Let us not get so carried away with euphoria of affirmation that we push the “shalt nots” to the outskirts of our circle or delete them from our life.  It is the “shalt nots” that keep us in tune with God so that we can hear and follow after His voice.  It is the “shalt nots” that make us stop and reconsider our words, actions and choices. It is the “shalt nots” that keeps us from separating ourselves from the love of God.  NO is as life-giving as YES and we must have someone we allow in our circle that is not afraid to speak negative things into our life.

Is it possible that Samson would not have been blinded and made to tread grain as an animal, if dad and mom had given him a “Thumbs Down?”  What if Eli had told his sons, “Thou SHALT NOT take the Ark of God into battle, Israel would have not suffered defeat at the hands of the Philistines and Hophni and Phinehas could have spent their days ministering before the Lord.  Then there is Rehoboam, the son of Solomon who pushed the wise elders from his circle of advisors and chose to listen only to those who agreed with him.  This of course caused a civil war and his kingdom was split, all because he did not allow anyone in his life to tell him, NO!!!

So the next time someone tells you NO, thank them for giving you the opportunity to reconsider.  Instead of reaching for the “DELETE” button at the next negative comment, use it to examine your thoughts and motives.  Include two or three people in your inner circle that you trust, that you love and are not afraid to speak to you with brutal honesty.  The "THOU SHALT NOT" that you reluctantly receive and apply to your life may just be your salvation from a life of heartache and regret.

WHEN "I SHOULD" BECOMES "IF ONLY"

Every one of us has moments, days or years that we just wish we could “do over.”  Maybe it is because of procrastination, perhaps it was due to impulsiveness, or maybe you tried to take things into your own hands and instead, created a mess.  Whatever the reason or the excuse, we can all look back at the moments when our “I should” becomes our “If only.”-

As with most of the “mess ups” in our life, “If Onlys” were handed down to us from Father Adam and have been a constant “thorn in our side” throughout the history of mankind.  Adam was well aware of the choice he SHOULD make.  He had heard the instruction straight from the mouth of God, “And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”   (Genesis 2:16-17)  Yes, Adam knew exactly what he SHOULD DO, but in a moment that would change Human History, he ate of the fruit.  In that moment, not only were Adam’s eyes opened to knowledge, not only would his body begin to die, not only would he have to toil and labor for his “daily bread,” but Adam experienced a moment when his SHOULD became his IF ONLY.

There are many more examples in the Bible of “I SHOULD” becoming “IF ONLY.”  So many regrets would be avoided, if we would learn the “IF ONLY” lessons taught by each event.  Moses SHOULD have spoken to the rock; IF ONLY he had not struck the rock, he would have been the one leading the Israelites into the Promised Land.  Abraham SHOULD have trusted God when He said that his son would come from Sarah; IF ONLY he had not been impatient, he would not have birthed an Ishmael.  Judas SHOULD have not allowed money to cloud his judgment; IF ONLY he had loved and been loyal to the Master, he would have been one of the 120 in the Upper Room on the Day of Pentecost.  So many life changing moments occur when an “I SHOULD” turns into an “IF ONLY.”

Thirteen years ago, September 2, 2001, I too had one of those moments that will be forever imprinted on my brain.   We had gone to our “up north” cottage to spend the Labor Day weekend.  Mom had called on Friday, to say she was taking Dad to the hospital to possibly get a blood transfusion and expected to be home some time during the day on Saturday.  I was busy and looking forward to a fun-filled weekend.  I tried to call Saturday morning and again Saturday evening; there was no answer at  home.  I thought, to myself, tomorrow I will call the hospital if there is still no answer on the home phone.  On the way to breakfast, Sunday morning, my phone rang with the sad news that Dad had died.  I SHOULD have called; IF ONLY I had, I could have spent some precious last moments hearing my Dad’s voice and letting him know one more time that I loved him.

 

If there are things in your life that you SHOULD do or say; DO THEM!!!!  Make that phone call; SAY THEM!!!  Don’t allow another SHOULD to transform into an IF ONLY.