I'm feeling a bit ripe

I just threw away a really old banana. This thing was jet black. I was wondering how a banana lasted so long in our house without getting thrown away.
Could be....because we lived in a hospital for four days.
Could be...because we also have some individual chocolate pudding cups that are from the Pleistocene era and this is sort of a pattern for us.
or
It could be because Annie's mom figured she could still use it for banana bread...or some sort of muffin. She can take something that I would just throw away and make something out of it.

She cooks. She sews. She knows how to use a glue gun without accidentally dripping it onto the carpet or accidentally starting a fire with it.

So the banana got me to thinking. There's something true about the water that was "ceremonially used for foot washing" that Jesus turned into the "best wine" The message of following Jesus is that he can take old, nasty bananas that you'd never even pick up to throw away without a paper towel....and make them into delicious banana bread....or better yet, a Jack Daniels Flat Iron Steak (he's Jesus after all)

The thing people get hung up on is the black banana part. Instead of celebrating the hope of banana bread....the story is often looked as with the defensive posture "who are you to tell me I'm not perfect?" "I'm better than that guy!"

Fine. We're all perfect. We all are "basically good people" Every person in prison thinks they're good....deep down. All of us are better than Hitler.

Having said that - there was no good reason that Jesus would die on the cross for us.

Let's not get wrapped up in Him not only paying the price for all our foibles (something about that word....I just love it) and the opportunity to accept that gift. Maybe it's easier to focus on the "who are you to tell me I need anything?!" part.

I think Paul was on to something when he wrote, "I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!"

Bottom line - I know all the crazy stuff I've done - thought of - not done that probably I should have - continue to do....and I'm going to focus in on the Him not only cleaning the slate....but destroying the slate - part.

I'm off to eat some eggs
(you thought I'd say banana bread, didn't you?)