Object lessons

Jesus, speaking in Matthew 7:3-5 says the following:

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye." Later, in Galatians 6:7(b), "....whatever you sow, so also will you reap."

After almost 40 years on the earth, you'd think I'd have grasped these principles by now. But no. It still so hard for me.

For example, my post of just a couple days ago was mighty smug. I wasn't feeling so smug, however, as I stood (in the sawdust, no less!) facing the inside walls of the chicken coop and the door that I had just slammed to keep the neighbor's dog out. I filled the waterers and turned around to grab the door handle - whoops! - no handle on the inside!

I knew that Hannah would not miss me for another 30 minutes when Barney was over. Even then, though, I doubted if she'd come hollerin after me. I smirked when I realized what I had done.

Necessity is the mother of invention. I slid the hem of my shirt under the deadbolt knob to get some leverage, then pulled as hard as I could. Whew! Not a problem. Only a minor panic.

Anyone got a spare pull handle? Give it to Andy next time you see him. He has a new chore on the "household to-do list" that includes one.