Day TWO (d) (out of order) September 6th! Trey's Trek continued...

Racoon Paw... that's all!

This leg of the Trek to Mackinaw proved to be the 'deadliest' part of the trip for the whole 300 plus miles!  Let me explain!  

"Dead" snake by Wixom Road... you don't really see many of these in Michigan! 

Even as we moved North, we saw more dead animals on the side of the road,  from Northville Township to Commerce, than we saw on any other leg of the Trek.  There were so many of them that I started taking pictures of them.  Then I thought to my self... 'what are you gonna do with all of those photos of dead animals?   Even my son in law, Luke who was walking with me today said, that it seems that the "theme" for the day has to deal with 'death' since there are so many dead animals beside the road.


Well, I thought to myself!  'Somebody has to notice this!'  But most of the time we are so stinking busy these days; running here and there and 'doing this and that', that almost anything that is not on our own personal radar... that gets in our way, just gets run over!  So, I thought about that for a minute and came up with a conclusion that ... "YEP, THAT'S PRETTY MUCH WHAT I DO when I really get going (in my own little world)!" But thinking this through... brought to mind some other 'situations' that I have been involved with that have lead to outcomes that not only affected me personally... but others as well!   Sometimes it wasn't good!


Let me see if I can illustrate this. Check this out!  Do you know what this is?  No! It "ain't" a 'cat' with a racing stripe! 

"Pole Cat" in 'Southern' English, but "SKUNK" in regular English 

Literally, these critters... raise a stink!  A stink that affects everything!  A lasting stink that goes everywhere and gets into everything if they 'demonstrate!'   If any of you have been around an area that a 'skunk' has 'sprayed,' you will understand their effectiveness and their far reaching 'influence.'  And let me tell you.... the physical chemical make up of their spray which is really potent... most 'household remedies' according to Wikipedia "are simply ineffective" in getting rid of it.  But there is this peroxide formula that will help break down the chemical composition of the actual STUFF that is 'emitted' by the 'Pole Cat' if 'they figure' that there is some sort of threat to them!   I know some people like this!  Just the slightest intimation that they will be confronted will elicit... well, lets move on!

   

So to be helpful today...I want to give you the link to a Wikipedia Web page that will help you if you have been confronted with a skunk and want to resolve the issue!

http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Removal_of_Skunk_

Odor/Removing_Odor

So I can't help but think that there is a "strong" parallel lesson here for those of us who will pay attention to it. This is what I am thinking...

Sometimes in our attitudes and actions we get to thinking that we are just the 'cat's meow!'   With that; there are times we are not aware that our pride has overtaken our sensibilities in regards to our actions and or our attitudes and we end up disregarding others because of what 'we want.'  Selfishness becomes a huge contributor to this!   

In thinking this through... after seeing that dead skunk, I began to see that... we, like those skunks, can also really raise a stink!  And just like a skunk, our attitudes and actions can and do affect everything around us!  It can be a lasting 'stink' that goes everywhere and gets into everything if we don't allow the Holy Spirit to "put a knot in our tail", so to speak!   

Just think of a time when you have been in an area where someone or even yourself has had a 'skunky'  attitude or an action that just 'sprayed,' everything and everybody!  Even innocent people who are not involved, who are just passing by are also affected as well!  Now think back on the effects of what was 'spewed', and how it made folks  react afterwards.  Was it pleasant?  Did they remember the smell?  Do 'they' remember you?  Do they tend to avoid you the next time you show up?  Just asking!  It is something to think about.

So let me tell you what I know.... the make up of that spiritual 'Pole Cat' spray, which is really potent and damaging to relationships and situations is very difficult to fix!  In most cases... a simple "I am sorry...!"  will not remedy that offensiveness according to reality! 

But there is this real life formula that will help break down that 'lethal, spiritual, composition' of the actual offensive trespass and it is this;  "Repentance and Restitution!"   Turning completely around 180 degrees from your "Pole Cat" attitudes and ways and repairing what you affected by repaying or restoring what you damaged... is the answer.  But in practical terms, repairing what you damaged may be beyond your own ability, which in your case, you will have to have someone else replace what you destroyed or pay for it for you.     

So this is where Jesus comes in and this is not just some 'pie in the sky' stuff!  Some things that we have done in our past are just down right despicable and evil and there is no way possible, humanly speaking, to repair what we did.  So humbling ourself in admitting that we were wrong and doing what we can to remedy those situations is certaintly moving in the right direction.   So making things right is critical in bringing reconciliation.  

But still, there are costs involved in making restitution.  Forgiveness cannot be granted until justice is done!   Some restitution is so expensive that our very lives are required of us!  So what do we do?  The answer is this; go to Jesus!  If you haven't  already heard this; He has already paid a price for you with His own life that was a ransom for all of your sin (actually, all the crud that you stirred up) and He personally did not even do one single thing wrong... but He paid your penalty for you anyway, knowing that without His sacrifice, (on your behalf) that you would be facing 'life in prison' or 'the death penalty!'  Just thinking about this gives me the "willies!"  

You may ask yourself...'Why would He do such a thing?  Maybe you have heard this before and for you, it was just a glib 'cliche!'  But, "yes... Jesus does love you!"  This is why He did what He did in taking your punishment... specifically for you... yes,  just for you!  

This is my challendge!  If you can find a better way to clean up the 'skunk' in your life... have at it... but like Wikipedia said... the known remedies are simply "ineffective!"  In reality, there is only one thing in this realm that we live in that can totally remove and repair the 'skunks' in all of us!  That is the blood of Jesus!  

Simply Trey