Stained and Stinky
Dear Teacher,
For my own mental health, I daily walk in the country with my two dogs. It's a time for me to connect with Jesus, listen to podcasts, or snap scenery pictures. Unfortunately, this otherwise-peaceful time is regularly disturbed by my walking partners, Pearl and Nessie, our two Golden Retriever dogs. The love to romp through the fields and swim in the creek, and I, admittedly, enjoy their happiness.
However, my thrill in watching them came to a sudden halt this morning. After having released them from their leashes, they were free to sniff and chase at will, while I walked along the dirt road. All alarms went off, though, when I smelled the distinct odor of SKUNK! With the previous day's roll-in-manure fiasco, I felt fear tingle up my spine. Had my furry friends got themselves into a stinky situation?
My mind went into solution-focused mode. I had heard an old wive's tale solution for skunk stench. The method goes like this: In order to neutralize the skunk spray, one must be fully covered by tomato juice. Once dunked in the red stuff, the smell of skunk spray is said to go away.
And isn't that a lot like us? With our sinful nature and messy mess-ups, we foul and wretched. The only cleaning solution? In order to neutralize the nastiness of our action, one must be fully covered by the Red Stuff. Once we are fully immersed in the Blood of Jesus, we are clean and "white as snow." Thanks to His sacrifice, we can be "Spotless, spotless, Whiter than the snow. Your blood, Your blood, Your blood, Covers me, I'm whole." (Washed Away by Michael W. Smith)
Stained and Stinky,
Christian Educator & School Counselor