I just received the following message from one of my best friends. She wrote, “My favorite azalea has been stolen. It was in a huge pottery pot, lovely pale green, well grown azalea of deep beautiful pink color. Hope they enjoy it, whoever they are.” First off, I cannot imagine someone stealing something like this. I hope they had a pickup truck. Secondly, I am not sure how someone could enjoy it should they put it in their yard. Wouldn’t it be a daily reminder to them regarding their character or lack of?
What I do admire is my friend’s lack of animosity and desire for the thief to enjoy it. She is certainly not a dog in a manger. There are some people who if they cannot enjoy something they don’t want anyone to enjoy it. Satan is a dog in a manger. He has lost eternal life and since he cannot have it he is on a savage campaign against each of us trying his best, or should I say worst, to see to it that we are lost with him. If he can’t have it why should we?
We are so blessed. Each of us is presented on a daily basis the opportunity to extend our lives into an endless future. If I had a pill that would guarantee an additional ten years of life, I would be a very rich man. But that is only ten years. What we are offered is a gazillion times better. Jesus said, “I say unto you, He that hears my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”
Written by Roger Bothwell on December 4, 2013
Spring of Life, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574
Rogerbothwell.org