I saw that bag of trash along the road near the same intersection I turn at every morning. …And I drove right by it. It might not seem like much, and maybe you think I’m placing too much emphasis on THAT bag of trash, but here’s the rub. There’s no way for me to avoid the thoughts on my mind. I drive that little stretch of road each morning as I take my kids to school. The intersection happens to be less than a mile from my house. I’ve seen trash bags representing THAT bag a dozen times. Nobody picks them up, including me. THAT bag eventually either gets hit, torn by the harshness of Iowa weather, or an animal gets into it. Either way it’ll only be a few days before THAT bag of trash is strewn all over the intersection and along the ditches and roadway.
What does that say about me? What does that say about the thousand others that drove by and didn’t act? What message does it send when the trash bag I know will be a problem is burst open all over the area? When people pull up to that intersection, stop and look around, they’ll see trash in the ditches. Maybe they’ll think to themselves about how nasty that is, or maybe hold a dim view of a local community that won’t self police their own refuse. You know what the most likely thought would be? “Somebody needs to pick up that trash,” would be my guess, and therein lies the lesson.
I’m bee bopping by daily knowing I should do something about an issue I witness. Others are too. Yet, we do nothing. Knowing this issue will grow and manifest itself as a problem, we still skip it. Then, when the inevitable comes to fruition, we all continue bee bopping by thinking to ourselves somebody should have done something before the area was littered with garbage. …And the next logical question you’re asking? Yeah… Who is going to come along and pick up all that trash now?
Friends, I could have stopped at the very moment I saw that little clear sack of trash and provided my children the benefit of a classic ‘teachable moment’ but I didn’t…
We pass by people on a daily basis that we know need Jesus, and do we share Him? We do not… Not nearly often as we could I’d bet. At what point will we?
I don’t quote scripture from Isaiah much, but I really like this one, Isaiah 1:17 – Learn to do good; Seek justice, Reprove the ruthless, Defend the orphan, Plead for the widow.
What about Colossians 3:17 – Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.
And James 4:17 – So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.
Lots of good ’17’ verses there, huh? Let’s get off the sidelines and do God’s work. If I can’t pick up a little sack of trash in front of my kids, is it realistic to expect them to share Him when they grow? I must do so myself on both accounts, in order to glorify God and respect and honor my children.
Be salt. Seek light.
