Wayne Weekly “A Big Chunk of Dirty Ice”

During my Dazy Dew daily duty dog walk, early morning edition, I saw an “iceberg”, well really a plowed remnant of what was left of our November snowstorm. That surprised me a little since I thought the warmer temperature of this past week would have melted any trace of our November, January like, event.

The ice pile was packed with debris revealing an early snowfall over unraked leaves and twigs. It resembled something you might find on Pluto, or perhaps an icy comet frozen in time. Whatever it looked like, it was dirty and ugly and on the scene too early.

I remember the story of lumberjack Paul Bunyan and Babe, his blue ox. I vividly recall that while in the midst of a freezing cold streak, Paul and his men would speak and their words would freeze in the air as they were spoken. One story said that not all those words were pretty, and during the warmer spring temperatures the air was filled with corruption as the words thawed out!

Sometimes sin is like frozen Paul Bunyan words. Sin is born, yet at the moment is frozen for a time. Sin may not seem to harm anyone at the onset, but as time progresses, the thaw comes, and the result corrupts…both the one who sins, and, so often, those that person keeps company with.

James tells us that when we are tempted, we can be carried away with strong ungodly desires, when those desires are conceived, they give birth to sin. Like the lumberjacks thawing words, sin permeates the air and contaminates the atmosphere. And, like the dirty “iceberg” I encountered on my dog walk, when the ice thaws…it leaves behind a mess.

Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.                Galatians 6:1

Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.                                                                                                                                                Proverbs 28:13

See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.                                                                                                                   Hebrews 12:15