Beer Bottles, Flip Flops, and Jesus


Yeah, I did it. I lost my flip flops off the top of my car. There, I said it. It's out in the open, and I've come clean. I put my flip flops on top of my car to dry, since when I leave them in my car wet they smell like a herd of dying rhinos threw a death party in the back seat of my trooper. And I drove off, completely forgetting they were there, just like I promised myself I wouldn't do.

So this morning, I saw one on the road, and stopped to get it. Walking along the road, cars whizzing by, old farmers on bicycles asking if I lost something and guffawing as they pedaled past, I kept looking for the other flip flop. As I perused the ditch and deep weeds along the road, I kept thinking I saw my shoe. But no, it was a beer bottle, an old glove, a beer bottle, some cardboard, a beer bottle, another old glove, a mountain dew throwback can, a beer bottle, and a trash bag full of something quite scary. Apparently the people driving in and out of our church drink a lot of beer and throw their empties into the ditch along the road.

It really began to hit me how much trash we pitch out in a small space. It was pretty discouraging, cruising the ditch and looking at the leftover unwanted parts of other people's lives laying there. Then I saw a bumble bee, and it was buzzing around this tiny yellow wisp of a flower. In the middle of a couple of beer bottles. For whatever reason, it hit me, that it is just like God to grow a flower in the middle of the trash and weeds. Just like Him....

So, I read in Matthew 9:27-38 about Jesus healing people, and seeing them "harassed and helpless". He wades out into the trash of that day, the people who were tossed aside and pitched for being worthless, and makes flowers of healing and hope grow. He still does, really.

It's just like Him... Oh, and I found my other flip flop.

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