Teaching Tuesday / Creepy Things and Things That Hide

This is my mother-in-law plant that Joel grew for me in the horticultural classes at the Blind Academy when he was attending there. I've had it several years now, but this spring I actually put it outside on my front porch. Which it really seemed to like before I let it stay too long and the cold damaged it. I didn't enjoy, and I'm sure the plant didn't either, when I had to cut back the dead leaves that the cold had killed.

Although my plant liked it on the porch, there were others that liked it being on the porch also. For example, this creepy praying mantis that jumped from my plant onto the wall when I tried to get a picture! Just FYI for all you science nerds out there, I know praying mantis are helpful insects.

I just want to make a point that they "creep" around almost unnoticed. Much like the unforgiveness, hurts and woundings of our soul that most of us live with daily and never take the time to really pay attention to or notice. Until, there's a crisis. Now, like I said the praying mantis is a good thing, but letting bitterness, envy, and strife "creep" into our lives and heart's isn't! What if we just took the time to stop and examine those wounds, forgive those grievances, and apply Jesus' healing Blood to the pain? What if we guarded our hearts against letting bitterness "creep" in? And wonder of wonder, what if we taught this lifestyle of FORGIVING to our children? The song that says, "What a wonderful world this would be!" comes to mind.

Unfortunately, most of the time those "creepy" things become things we hide. Like this lizard, hiding in my plant. By the time it got so cold that my plant needed the warmth of inside tempts, I had forgot about the critters that had taken up residence in my plant.

As I brought it in, Elijah reminded me by stating that he wasn't going to catch the frogs and lizards out of my plant. Yikes! Guess that was my job. Removed 3 rain frogs right then.

If we stuff or hide "creepy" things, down in our hearts, where we think they are hidden from view . . . sooner or later those "creepy" things are gonna come out.

When the fires of life increase the temperatures in our hearts, our "creepy" things will come forth.

Wouldn't our lives be so much more pleasant if we dealt with the "creepy" things before we let them in the house to have free reign to creep around and cause chaos?

I don't know about at your house, but frogs, lizards, and praying mantises in my living room could cause quite a commotion. So, can unforgiveness, bitterness, and unhealed hurts caused by bitter words.

Let's start to check our hearts on a regular basis and let the Lord in His goodness, remove the "creepy" things and bring healing to the hurting places. And then let's take it a step further, and teach this LIFESTYLE of FORGIVENESS to our precious children!

#TeachingTuesday #CreepyThingsAndThingsThatHide