We have horses and goats, and horses and goats are good
at a lot of things. But one of the things they're best at is making a
lot of slippery, stinky mess in the corral. Morning, noon and night they
just like to hang around doing their thing.
Fortunately for us we
also have a lot of neighbours who line up every spring to get their
grubby little gardening hands on that big slippery, stinky mess in our
corral. They come with their pick-up trucks, their wheelbarrows, their
rakes and shovels, their gloves and boots and set to work. Everyone
complains about this gardening discipline. Everyone hates the smell, the
mess, the slipping and sliding, the pain in their back as they heft and
shovel, rake and toss and contemplate the unloading and necessary work
involved in preparing their gardens for planting.
Come late
August, early September however their groans and complaints have turned
to smiles and pride as they freeze and can and pickle the fruits of
their labour, which have all benefited from the messy, hard job they
disciplined themselves to undertake in the early spring.
Yes, no
discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. I think we can all
agree on this truth, don't you? Later on, however, it produces a harvest
of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. The
big question here however is: will we allow the blessing of God's
discipline to train us, or will we just keep wallowing around in the
muck of our own arrogance and stubbornness, slipping and sliding and
getting nowhere? The choice is ours.
Prayer: Father God thank you
that your discipline is always for our best. As difficult and messy as
it may sometimes seem, when we submit our will to yours and allow our
hearts to accept and learn from you we are indeed blessed with spiritual
growth and peace. For this we praise and thank you. In Christ's name we
pray. Amen.
Lynne Phipps
lynnephipps@PROTECTED
Atlin, BC
The Mess
Today's Bible Verse:
Hebrews 12:11 "No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but
painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and
peace for those who have been trained by it."
The Mess
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