The Tale of the Evil Worm

The Evil Worm
So a few weeks ago we were away. Gone for about a week. No problem. When we got home, everything seemed in fine order around here....except for this funny little pile of yellowish dust on one of our dining room chairs, how strange. Upon closer inspection we realized that the yellow pile was sawdust (or wormdust!), a worm had burrowed into our chair and was eating it from the inside out. The worm had been small when it ate it's way into the chair, the entry hole was very small. But inside the worm (though still relatively small) had grown to many times the size it was when it first started it's meal.Now the chair has a big chunk of wood missing because we had to extract the stupid worm. How annoying!

I did realize something though... the saga of the worm bears a resemblance to what happens when we are offended by someone and let it brew in our hearts. It may start out as something small that we let ourselves dwell on, and pretty soon it gets bigger and bigger and can become a root of bitterness if we aren't careful. Unforgiveness eats at us, from the inside.Interestingling, from the outside of the chair you couldn't tell there was anything going on inside it! It looked normal. (you couldn't even really notice the tiny little hole) But inside, there was this worm getting fatter and fatter, destroying our good chair.

Unforgiveness is like that too, you often can't notice it right away in someone's life. But it could very well be there, getting fatter and fatter. Destroying the heart.There is a tell tale sign on the outside though... the worm was spewing behind it the pile of saw dust- his refuse, his garbage..... he couldn't hide it.....(he probably wished he could have hid it because we squished him when we found him.)

I think it's similar with us when we have a grudge brewing, an offense we are unwilling to forgive.... there is stuff that comes out of our heart that is a byproduct.... critical words, a cynical attitude, a lack of grace. And it's garbage really.

"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful." Col 3:12-15

So, yeah, I need to take these things to heart. Now to find some chair cushions to cover up the worm's carnage!