Last month, Jeff and I went to put the leash on the dog so that
we could go for a walk. As we bent to attach the leash to her collar, we saw
maggots – thousands of maggots (OK, it was probably hundreds but it was A LOT) –
coming out of a knot on her back. I ran inside for rubber gloves and shampoo.
Donning the gloves, I turned on the water and fought the nausea as I watched
Jeff squeeze the knot and clean out the maggots from Sandy’s back (Note, I wore
the gloves holding the leash, while Jeff did the dirty work barehanded).
OK, now that you are thoroughly disgusted I’ll tell you what
I learned from this. If a fly lays an egg on an open wound, within an hour,
hundreds of maggots hatch and attack. All of this started with one stinkin’
fly!
As I have tried to forget the nasty image burned into my
memory that night, God spoke to my spirit. The scripture teaches that out of
the mouth the heart speaks. How many times have I let a root of bitterness,
jealousy, or anger – one thought – consume me? In time, I began to ruminate on
my perceived injustice and before long, I lash out. The words that come out of
mouth in that instant are like maggots. They are nasty and hurtful.
As we bathed Sandy, we noticed sticky black grime all over
her. We later learned that this was “maggot poop.” In the same way, my stinging
words leave behind a stink that lingers long after the words are spoken.
Our dog had to have surgery to clean the wound and medicine
to kill any remaining critters. The Bible pierces our hearts as a two edged
sword and in doing so, it purifies us from unrighteousness. If I want to rid my
heart of “maggot-likeness,” I need to stay in the Word and do regular heart
checks where I confess my sins to God. I need others to hold me accountable and
to help me deal with the ugliness.
God, create in me a pure heart and renew a right spirit
within me!
Labels: Daily Living, Family, Inspirational
