after meat and egg nog
not a creature was stirring,
not even Partick our dog.
When all of the sudden,
as if stabbed in the night,
my gut became rotten,
And I panicked looked for the light.
Sprinting to the bathroom,
banging my knee on the door,
Christmas dinner hurled into the toilet
then I curled up on the floor.
I love holidays because of the family and friends, but if I am completely honest, I think I get even more excited about the food. Turkey and rumakie for Thanksgiving. Meatballs and meat and cheese platters over Christmas. Jello eggs and lefse for Easter... my mouth starts to water just thinking about the holidays.
But, like many other people this year, I came down with the flu the night after Christmas and spent the whole next day just wanting to die. All day my 2 best friends were my pillow and the toilet. One of the most satisfying sounds that day was the sound of the toilet flushing because that ment it would be at least another hour before I started to feel sick again.
Yes, the beautiful sound of the toilet flushing as Christmas dinner (and late night instant mashed potatoes) was washed away. That day the sound of flushing toilet was like seeing the heavens split open and hearing the angels singing - it was glorious.
My dog, Patrick, also got sick for the first time last week. We had just pulled up to our friend's house for dinner and as soon as Patrick hopped out of the car he hurled in their front yard (I was just thankful he waited until after he got out of my car). I felt really bad for the poor little guy... that is until he started eating what he just threw up.
I've seen other dogs do that before - eat their own puke - but I never thought that MY dog would be one of those dogs. My dog is so cute, and fluffy, and friendly, and fun... and now apparently he likes to eat vomit. GROSS!
I understand what the writter of Proverbs was now getting at when he wrote:
Like a dog that returns to his vomit is a fool who repeats his folly. - Proverbs 26:11
Sin is one of those things that I constantly find myself making excuses for. I know it's not good for me, yet there are certain things I just can't stop going back to... I'm like a dog that returns to eat the very thing that just made him sick. We all are like this at times.
What is your vomit? What is the sin that you are currently going back to? A boyfriend or girlfriend, hurtful words towards a parent, bitterness towards someone who hurt you, websites you shouldn't be looking at, procrastination or laziness... What is it?
This concept of our sin being like vomit is perfect for so many reasons:
1. Our bodies response to sickness is to THROW IT UP and get it out of ourselves. It is something that shouldn't be in us. Sin is the same way; our response needs to be to get it out of us.
2. Anyone who has ever vomited before knows that whatever you are throwing up always tested better going down. Sin almost always "tastes good" at first, but just like vomit, it leaves a bad taste in our mouth afterwards.
3. The process of throwing up never feels good while its happening, but after it's all out you feel 100x better! Repenting of sin doesn't feel good - admitting your faults isn't a fun thing to do, but the freedom and forgiveness that follows allows us to live 100x better!
I challenge you with 3 things today:
1. Identify what your vomit is (It probably isn't going be too hard to point out something that is making you feel sick).
2. Repent of that vomit (ask Jesus for forgiveness, make amends with people you hurt in the process).
3. Flush the vomit (do whatever it takes to make it impossible to go back to that vomit again).
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