Don’t Touch
When I was young, I loved to go fishing with Dad and my grandparents. Especially if I got to ride in the boat. Although many years have now passed, one trip will always be branded in my memory.
Lake Mary is an oxbow lake off of the Mississippi River in Wilkinson County, Southwest Mississippi. Many people near where I grew up have camps there. The fishing is good and the camps on stilts along with the cypress trees scattered through water makes for interesting and beautiful scenery.
This particular trip was after lots of rain. The Mississippi River was up and the lake was well out of its banks. As Granny and Papaw checked and baited trot lines, I enjoyed the ride from the center of the boat. I was amazed at the level of the water and how we would actually float alongside some bridges rather than under them.
For a child, what starts out as excitement can become boring after a short period of time. I had seen all I needed to see and was ready to go back, but they were still baiting lines. To occupy my time, I decided that I would pretend to put on makeup. So, as we would pass by the trees, I would pick a few leaves and pat them on my face. Making sure to apply the make-believe blush and especially the eye shadow.
It wasn't until I had my full face of makeup on before Granny realized what I was doing. I remember her yelling "put those down" and trying to rinse my face off with lake water. My first thought was that she didn't like me wearing pretend makeup, since she was from a Pentecostal background, lol. However, it didn't take long for me to realize why she was so alarmed. Granny wasn't scolding me. She was trying to protect me.
Have you ever had poison ivy in your eyes?!? It was extremely itchy and painful and the embarrassment didn't help the situation. I'm not sure what looked worse, the red whelps on my hands and face, or the dried pink calamine lotion that covered both.
We can get ourselves into trouble sometimes by dabbling in things it would be best to stay away from. What's worse is when we don't learn our lesson and find ourselves right back in the same situation. Do you reach back into the same things that have caused you trouble in the past or do you leave them alone?
We know that as Christians, Jesus has covered our sins with His blood and we are free from the eternal consequences of them. However, we are all still tempted at times to fall back into things that are not pleasing to Him. Solomon says that fools repeat their mistakes, as a dog that goes back after something it has already thrown up.
I pray that I will use wisdom and learn from my mistakes, and I'm so thankful that my God is loving, merciful, and compassionate, even when I don't.
As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his foolishness. -Proverbs 26:11
The Lord is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. -Psalm 145:8
Walking Free - Micah Tyler
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