Catch the foxes for us, the little foxes that spoil the vineyards, for our vineyards are in blossom.” Song of Solomon 2:15
Hi Grits family. Hey, Judy and I are out of pocket for the next two days, so we are giving you the opportunity to revisit some of our favorites. So, God bless, enjoy and we will see you soon.
Good ole Murphy. You have probably heard about a thing called Murphy’s Law. The bottom line is that if something can go wrong…it probably will. I have been a strong believer in Murphy’s Law for a long time. In fact, I bet if I checked ancestry.com this Murphy fella is somehow related to me. Now I know if you are one of those optimistic folks you are not a believer. You probably don’t believe in Big Foot either. Well, hey, I’m a believer. Let me give you a couple of examples.
I have a 100 foot water hose that we use to water plants, wash the car, all kind of things. When I am done with the hose and it is time to roll it back up, there is a 90% probably that the hose will catch on something—a flower pot, a rock, a crack in the sideway, or even an ant. When it catches, it kinks and I will have to walk out and unkink it. And…there is 67.5 % chance that it will kink again. There you go…Murphy’s Law.
Are you up for one more? So, let’s say I am installing a light fixture in the bedroom and I have to screw three screws in to hold it. There is a 94.75 percent chance that I will drop at least one of the screws from atop the six foot ladder, that it will roll 7.5 feet over toward the wall and that it will drop into the heating or air conditioning vent. AND there is a 100% chance that I will not have a replacement screw AND a 84% chance that no one in town will either. See, it is Murphy’s Law—undeniable, irrefutable, you gotta believe it, proof.
Now the good thing about Murphy’s Law is that most of the things it involves won’t kill you or even cause serious injury …but it will definitely drive you crazy. I’ve lived long enough to come to the conclusion that it isn’t the major disasters in life that steal our joy, rob us of peace, or make us want to move to Montana. No, it is the little things. One of my favorite verses is tucked away in one of those Bible books we never read—the Song of Solomon. Trust me—don’t read it to your kids before bedtime—or maybe anytime.
Well, right in the middle of the book is this jewel, “Catch the foxes for us, the little foxes that spoil the vineyards, for our vineyards are in blossom.” The author, who is a guy named Solomon, is saying he is not worried about a herd of elephants stomping and ruining his grapevines. Nope. He realized the danger is from those pesky little foxes that come along and eat the harvest one grape at a time. One.grape.at.a.time.
In these crazy days that have become some kind of new normal there are some elephants out there. The reality is that the corona virus can be very dangerous. There is a pretty small chance that I will get it. There is an even smaller chance that it will kill me. But there is just about a 100% chance that it and all its circumstances have and will mess with me. And that’s the problem—worrying about things that mess with me, things I can’t change, and the Rolaids stock goes right through the roof. Those stinking, pesky little foxes. We should be wary of the elephants, but let’s not give too much time and energy to the little foxes.
The foxes can and will mess with us. If we allow them they can cause us to be frustrated and even angry. They can mess with our peace, our joy, our relationships and even our sleep. But the truth is our God is greater than any elephant or any fox. All we have to do us trust Him—to lean into Him. The writer of Proverbs says it this way, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and don’t lean into your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.” There you go…trust and acknowledge and He will straighten this mess out.
So, the next time the hose kinks or the screw disappears just remember Murphy is at work. The choice of what we do when he visits is ours. I think we should just probably introduce him to our Friend Jesus. We should let him know there isn’t room for he and Jesus in our circle of friends. Someone has to go and Murphy—it is you. So long Murphy. I’m gonna go rest in Jesus. He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne
Grits with Grace 