Week 1: We recycle faithfully, but don’t typically put out more than what fits in our recycle bin. So I was pretty surprised to see boxes and boxes and boxes at our curb on trash day. I called my darling husband (DH) at work and expressed my surprise about the massive amount of recycling we had that day. He was silent. So when I pressed him on it, he said, “I have no idea what you’re talking about. All I put out was our normal recycle bin.”
A mystery to solve! I went out to investigate. Some of the boxes had an address - a house down the street. I was totally befuddled (first time I’ve ever used that word!) as to why someone would bring all of their trash to our house. I called DH back to report my discovery. Being the level-headed and godly man that he is, he assured me that I was making a big deal out of nothing. So I prayed about it and was able to let it go. (Okay, I was mostly able to let it go, refer to aforementioned freak disclosure.)
Week 2: I opened the blinds on trash day the following week and saw another huge pile of trash on our curb! I was more than befuddled (handy word today!), I was seriously annoyed! Here I was with this ginormous pile of trash that would be staring me down all day and I’m thinking, 'This guy has some nerve to bring his trash down to my house!' Again, I called DH at work, he was also a little baffled, but being the non-freak half of our marriage he responded, “At least he’s recycling.”
Week 3: I was watching on trash morning, waiting to see the guy who had the nerve to bring his trash to our house without even checking with us. That’s when I saw our trash man throw some cardboard boxes next to our recycle bin before taking our trash. It was then apparent that since the recycle truck doesn't stop at every house, our kind trash man was going the extra mile to see that the boxes would get recycled rather than put in a landfill.
In an instant I was humbled and repentant. I had known all along that I was being petty, concerning myself with things that have no eternal significance, and harboring unforgiveness in my heart, but I indulged myself in my sin. I was trying to convince myself that my indignation was reasonable and ignore the conviction I was feeling.
I am humbled and I am thankful for I know it was for these sins of mine that Jesus hung, willingly on the cross.
Sometimes God uses a pile of trash to remind me how desperately I need Him.
What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?
Thanks be to God – through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, I myself in my mind am a
slave to God’s law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.
So then, I myself in my mind am a
slave to God’s law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.
Romans 7:24,25
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