They say here in the Midwest that we have four seasons: fall, winter, spring, and construction season. I know when I see a "Construction Ahead" sign I prepare to be annoyed. I know it will be better in two (or three or six or ten) years when the construction finally is done.Last week, we had some painting done at the church. The fresh paint (or maybe it was the primer) had kind of a strong odor and bothered some people. (Apparently, I have been painting too much and have killed off all my brain cells because it didn't bother me!)
That made me think of one of my favorite proverbs: "Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean, but abundant crops come by the strength of the ox" (Prov 14:4 ESV).
The point is simple: if you don't like shoveling manure, don't keep any oxen. However, if you don't have any oxen (at least in Old Testament times), you didn't do any farming (or have any food!).
So, if you want to avoid disturbance or difficulty, don't ever do anything. If you can't stand change, you won't ever have any improvements. If you don't like construction traffic, you'll soon be driving on old, broken down roads. If you can't stand paint fumes, learn how to wallpaper!
Comments