Take It To the Dump!

 It was a beautiful day for a walk, with sunshine and warm temperatures to tempt us into thinking spring had arrived.  Of course, living in North Dakota, we know better, but we also know to take advantage of a nice day when it arrives!  You just never know what the next day will bring, and true to form it went back to lower temperatures, cloudy skies, and strong wind the next day.

Having walked the same route on the bypass around Crosby several times, I decided to take a different path, and headed west out of town toward the junction of Highways 5 and 42.  Still feeling blessed by the nice day, I continued down the road a bit further until I came to the "dump grounds".  Now days they have fancier words for such a place, like "sanitary landfill" or "waste disposal area", but back in my childhood days we knew it simply as the "dump grounds".

Most of our garbage is now taken by trucks to a landfill area by Noonan, which is 14 miles east on Highway 5.

But our little dump grounds is still used for burnable items, such as wood and leaves.  Marked by a simple dirt trail leading up to a small fence, there are limited times allowed when someone can access it. Seeing it made me recall the many times my dad would bring garbage to this location during my growing up years.

One particular story told over the years is of my mom doing an evaluation of our toys, and relegating many of them to the dump.  Dad did his duty and brought them to their final destination. . .or so he thought.  It turns out there was a time, a few weeks later, when us kids were allowed to ride along on his visit to the dump grounds.  Of course there was "exploring" to do while Dad emptied his load, and wouldn't you know we discovered a bunch of "really cool" toys to take back home with us!  I don't think Mom was very pleased.

Seeing this small piece of property still being used today brought a smile to my face as the precious memories flowed through my brain.  Then, as I crossed the road and headed back toward town, I found a bit of a "God Lesson" floating around, too.

Confessing our sins to God is a bit like bringing trash to a dump grounds.  Jesus is the keeper of the gate, and is happy to dispose of them when we come in His name asking for forgiveness.  Unfortunately, many times we act like my siblings and I did so many years ago, and pick up those same sins, putting them back into circulation again.  Thankfully, God is willing to forgive over and over again, but a true act of repentance means you are willing to leave the garbage of sin where it belongs. . .forgiven, forgotten, and removed from your life.

It really is hard, however, in this world so full of sin to keep on the "small and narrow way" Jesus references in Matthew 7:13-14.  We find a similar lesson repeated in Luke 13:13-14.  In teaching His followers, He made it clear it was easy to follow the broad road of sin, leading to destruction.  Much better was finding the narrow road which leads to eternal life.

How will we know which road to choose?  Well, here in North Dakota we have something we call "rumble strips".  They are cuts in the pavement on either side of the highway and down the middle.  The purpose is to keep travelers on the right side of the road, as the sound made when driving on them will alert you when you are drifting to one side or the other.  They are helpful for drivers who are tired, or simply not paying attention.  They are also beneficial in the winter when snow cover makes you question where the edge of the road is.

As I looked at the rumbles strips before me, it made me think of the guidelines God has given us in His Word, the Bible.  He not only clearly outlines what sin is, but also tells us what we should be doing instead.  Galatians 5:19-23 contains two lists to consider, one labeled "the acts of the flesh" or sinful deeds, and the other "the fruit of the Spirit" which are found growing in the lives of believers.  

The acts of the flesh are obvious:  

sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 

idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, 

fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, 

factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, 

patience, kindness, goodness, 

faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

In the Old Testament, God gave Moses the Ten Commandments, which Jesus later summed up into two:

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind."

"Love your neighbor as yourself."

It's really not so difficult.  Remind yourself often of the guidelines, and should you happen to drift off the narrow way, be thankful the dumping ground for sin is always readily accessible!