Life and a 5 pound bag of potatoes!

So today, I have so much on my mind.  I had a car load of little girls last night who were a mixture of giddy and frustrated.  They were giddy because they do enjoy each other's company, but frustrated for other reasons which I will leave unsaid. (Quite honestly, I've been struggling with what to do regarding this very same frustration, so prayers would be SO appreciated)  Anyway, back to my heavy mind.  I hardly slept and of COURSE I have a million and one things to do today, but If I DO NOT write this, I think my brain will explode OR it will get lost in the recesses of my worldly worries.    As I stood pealing 5 lbs of potatoes today, I couldn't help think that pealing those potatoes was very much like my Christian walk- well, anyone's Christian walk.  Let me explain. I am reminded of John 15. (http://niv.scripturetext.com/john/15.htm).  Jesus speaks of the vine and the branches and how the branches must be pruned in order to grow.  You cannot leave what is dead on the vine! So, there sat on my counter a five pound bag of potatoes.
You've gotten potatoes at the store, right?  No matter how well you check that bag, there's always imperfection! ALWAYS!  That doesn't mean that your salad will be spoiled.  In the end, you can still make a great potato salad, but you have to get rid of the rotten unsightly stuff.  So, I filled the pot with water, turned on the stove, and began to peal and cut.  Each potato was different.   Some were round, some oval, some skinny, some huge- like people!  Almost EVERY SINGLE one had something wrong, though, whether it was a little touch of dirt, a rotten spot, or an "eye".  The water began to boil and I continue with my pealing, pealing, slicing slicing, digging, cutting, and shaping.  As I cut off the dead sections, the nice smooth white potato began to emerged!  Friends, that's what life is about here on this planet.  We ALL fall short; we all have rotten spots.  In Romans 3, it is VERY clear.  The bible says we "all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God."(Romans 3:23)  We are created or grown- just like the potato- dirty and unsightly until we are pealed and fixed up.  We all have sin in our lives, rotten spots like the potatoes.  
Here's the good news.  We have a Creator who loves us enough to send us someone to save us!  Like I did with those potatoes, which I could have left to rot ( I did do that with another bag, by the way, that I forgot about in the garage- THAT was nasty-)  but, I continued to remove the rotten spots so the potato was somewhat good- but only because of me.  It will never be perfect because there are marks where the rot once was, a scar or two from the journey.  Just like we have scars, so does our Savior.  He understands!  So, as my heavy mind drags me down and I get lost in the worries of this trivial petty world, join me in celebrating because this life is temporary.  Some day, we ALL will die... like my potatoes that went into the boiling water after I cleaned them up.  It hurts, but in the end, the salad will be GREAT as will we someday when our Savior returns for us.  It HURTS to have the rotten parts removed.  It's painful and trials are so hard for our human hearts to bear.  But, the bible says to cast your cares upon the Lord! His yoke is easy and His burden is light! (Psalm 55:22, Matthew 11:30)  I am thankful for that because I just don't know how you really find true joy in this awful world without knowing the LOVE of a savior.  Everyone needs a savior.  THANK GOD!  So, whatever is on your mind today, think about this and meditate on it.  Also, I am the greatest sinner, as Paul said in 1 Timothy, "This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief .“—I Tim. 1:15.  


Be blessed and be a blessing today!