Standing against the Dandelions

Isaiah 40 declares that all men are like grass, and just like grass all of us wither and fall.

Develop this analogy further and allow dandelions to represent sin. They may look attractive (or at least tolerable for an inexpensive flower) and even harmless in the beginning. If you give them any chance to take root, they spread everywhere and take over an otherwise healthy lawn. You can't just mow them down to get them out of sight, because they come back. In fact, they often come back stronger because you are helping to spread them by the mowing process.

Getting rid of dandelions is slow, and tedious. There is no way to get around digging them out by the roots. So must it be in our hearts where sinful attitudes and thoughts are often given a small foothold.

God will not neglect his inner yardwork but prunes us to bear fruit that will last.

Reduce the Recycling

In our national quest to proliferate the "three R's" (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) it seems that some entities assume we neglected to focus on the original three R's, particularly reading.

Consider this quote from the instruction packet for a LaserJet printer:

" [Company Name] is committed to providing inventive, high-quality products and services that are environmentally sound, from product design and manufacturing to distribution, customer use and recycling. When you participate in the [Company Name] Planet Partners program, we ensure your [Company Name] LaserJet print cartridges are recycled properly, processing them to recover plastics and metals for new products and diverting millions of tons of waste from landfills. Please note that the cartridge will not be returned to you. (Emphasis mine) Thank you for being environmentally responsible!"

How stupid do they think we are? If I am so naive as to expect my ink cartridge to be returned after they have recovered the plastic and metal from it then what gives anyone the hopeful idea I can figure out how to correctly apply the pre-addressed shipping label?

The potential consequences of this program could be devastating to an unsuspecting and unprepared populace. Someone might end up wearing the label on their shirt as a nametag, get abducted by the UPS, and end up taking a cargo ride to the recycling center. At least the trip would give them time to practice their reading comprehension skills.