Debris

Yesterday I was driving down the interstate and couldn't help but notice as I looked out my window at the side of the road some of the debris (remains, rubble, rubbish, wreckage, trash) scattered along the road. At first I just noticed a plastic sack blowing in the breeze or a cup or can someone had aimlessly tossed out to get rid of. But the further I drove the more and more I began to take note. The winter covering of snow, having all melted, now showed nearly a covering of trash and litter scattered all along the roadway. Besides the usual sacks, papers, cups, cans, bottles - I began looking to see what all was laying in the grass. There were hubcaps, license plates, boards, tires, parts of cars, which I assume were left from a wreck or fender-bender. There was a dead deer and raccoon, a broken chair, a big black garbage bag that looked like it was full of something ... I was not going to stop to check it out! As I drove along I began thinking about all of this trash and junk that was littering up the highway. What a shame! What could have been a nice, quiet, beautiful drive ended up being quite disturbing to me. Where and how did all of this trash get there? Take a good look next time you drive along. Have we no pride in this God-given land of ours??

This actually kind of haunted me - and I began thinking how it must have started with just one person's carelessness and then multiplied by numerous careless people thinking it's one cup or one empty pop can, etc. Then I began thinking about our lives. How so many times we allow just one little "thing" to creep into our life thinking, "it's just a little thing", "it's just this one time", etc. But as time goes on, those "one little things" just seem to add up and before we know it our lives are cluttered up with a lot of junk and debris that keep us from "grazing" in the grasslands of God's grace! We may find that we are not enjoying the grazing ground God has provided for us because we can't get to the "growing grass" where we will grow in God's love. We can't grow and become what God wants us to be if our lives have debris - remains, rubble, rubbish, wreckage and trash in them.

I heard on the radio today a pitch for all of us to "clean up our city" and they were talking about all of the litter around town that is so visable since the snow has melted. They were encouraging everyone to stop and pick up the litter around them. I think this is a great idea and we all need to do our part to make our spot beautiful. But what am I doing about my life? What are you doing about your life? Is there junk and debris in your life that you also need to clean up? Is there some "wreckage" there that needs fixed or taken care of? Are there things in your life that are weighing you down so that you can't get to the "growing grass" and God can't shine through you? Start today, be strong, choose to step out in faith and stand up for yourself and get rid of the debris that is weighing you down. Let's clean up where we live both inside and out!!

Psalm 51:2-7 - "Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin . . Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow."