Have you ever had someone do you wrong? Was there a time you were treated like dirt being stomped under big old ugly boots?
At my church most Sundays we pray the prayer the Lord taught us to pray, and whenever I get to the part about forgiving-us-our-trespasses I have to suppress a smile. I've told you the true tale about my man Mike and our youngest son nearly getting arrested for trespassing, but that's not what makes me grin.
It's the story about the little girl who heard that familiar phrase a different way.
"Lord, forgive us our trash baskets," she prayed, "even as we forgive those who put trash into our baskets."
Now there's a wise child!
Maybe there was a man whose name was once as sweet as honey on your tongue. but now burns your lips.
Or maybe it was a woman who acted like she was your best friend until it became as clear as a freshly washed window that she wasn't.
Few things on this side of eternity are as hard to stomach as betrayal. Only someone we've loved deeply has the power to hurt us that badly.
Here's MIss Maggie, that mid-century maven of southern cooking and unasked-for advice, with some tips about dealing with dirt in your life.
(All kinds!)
That's what we can do, friends.
Rise Up!
"Don't repay evil for evil. Don't retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will grant you his blessing." 1 Peter 3:9 NLT
Adapted from Life is Sweet, Y'all. Copyright 2022, Tyndale House Publishers. Used with permission.
If you're on Facebook, join us for a live par-tay on Tuesday, March 1, 8 pm ET!
Miss Maggie will give you a peek into her 1974 kitchen cupboards, demo a recipe from the book, engage in some book banter, and give away lots of fun prizes. We'll post pix of those next week!
