Face It, Now

Good Morning!! I read that a Pennsylvania paving crew, found a dead deer in their path,...and they didn't remove it, they just paved right over it! Really? They most likely thought; "no one will see it.",...but people sure felt it later! As unbelievable as that may sound, people actually pave over obstacles in their path. It happens all the time in relationships. Instead of dealing with conflict, or problems,...we pretend they're not there, or they're not as bad,...you know,...we just pave over them.

"In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry,—Ephesians 4:26 (NIV)

Don't pave over your disagreements or the hurts,...deal with them right away, before you stuff it down, giving the devil something he can turn into bitterness and resentment. In fact, the very next verse says: "And do not give the devil a foothold." A few verses later, God commands us to deal aggressively with any "road kill" that we might be tempted to just pave over. "Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ, God forgave you."

Peace at any price usually means just war postponed,
...and bigger than it would have been, if you had just dealt with it sooner.

How many marriages could have been saved, how many family relationships could have been saved, how many friendships, ministries, churches could have been spared devastating hurts and divisions if only someone had refused to pave over what should have been confronted and removed. Help us today, Holy Spirit. Amen.

" We lose the joy of living in the present,...when we worry about the future, or live in the past."