Wednesday, February 2, 2011

The Curse of the Untended Garden

Years ago, I met a man while visiting church members in a nursing home. His name was Frank, and he had spent his entire life as a pastor in the area where I grew up. In fact, for a few years, he had pastored my home church, although that was before my parents were born. As you can imagine, he had some amazing stories. But one thing he said really stuck with me: "I'm 92, and I still have all my teeth!" He was so proud of that. As a 26-year-old smart-aleck, I found that funny. But now I think I understand. Our teeth are an important part of our body. If they are bad, our appearance suffers (and that affects the way other people respond to us). With bad teeth, our ability to eat good foods is compromised, leading to further health issues. Repairing bad teeth can be expensive, but the cost of NOT repairing them can be even higher, as chronic pain and embarrassment can produce depression. Bro. Frank was proud that he still had all his teeth after all these years, because that was quite an accomplishment. It represented countless times he had done the little things to take care of them. And because he had done the little things, he was reaping the rewards, well into his nineties. We only have one set of teeth. If we take care of them, they'll take care of us. If not, we will face the consequences.

No, this week's sermon is not about brushing and flossing and the wonder-working power of fluoride. It's about something even more unappreciated, and far more important. We'll be studying Proverbs 24:30-34. Here's a term for you to look up as you prepare for the message this week: entropy. Curious yet? See you Sunday.

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