Clogs

Ah yes, Liquid Plummr, Draino, a plunger, a snake -- all tools of the trade for do-it-yourselfers when it comes to unclogging a drain.  Or you may need Roto-Rooter.  One thing I've learned as a homemaker over the years is to never put grease down a drain.  Kind of like not putting grease into your veins and arteries.  (Actually though, I've read reports that show stress has a lot more to do with high cholesterol than diet does!)

From traffic jams, plugged toilets, clogged drains, veins and arteries, we move on to clogged families.  What do I mean by a clogged family?  A family that has little, if any communication, interaction, or friendship.  A family where pride has swelled and plugged pipes that once were open and are now tightly closed because of offense. 

Just like grease poured down a kitchen sink drain, a harsh word here and there gets poured into the family pipe and doesn't get healed.  Grease that's poured down the drain time after time because it's more convenient than taking a paper towel and wiping out the appliance, begins to build up and harden inside the pipes.  Same with a family.  Treating each other badly has consequences, and unless God's "roto-rooter" of humility and repentance is used, the family drain will be plugged.  Coldness will cause the pipes to burst, and the family to disintegrate.

Divorces begin with thoughts, then words, then deeds.  How many know you can talk to yourself without saying a word?  This "grease" is just as deadly.  Thoughts and self-talk indulged in long enough will result in action -- good or bad.  If a marriage partner doesn't use God's "roto-rooter" on thoughts of attraction to someone other than their mate, those thoughts will fill in the pipe that used to connect them to each other.

As I sit here today writing this blog, I am reminded of an incident years ago when my children were small.  My life seemed quite mundane and my husband was off to his exciting work-day world, so I became addicted to watching soap operas when the kids were in school.  I would plan to have all my work completed for the day by the time the first Soaps came on, and I would sit glued to the TV until my kids came home several hours later.  I only remember the name of one soap -- "Days of Our Lives". 

One day I became aware of a thought my mind: "having an affair wouldn't be so bad".  I was shocked that I would even think such a thing, and immediately it seemed God drew back a curtain on my life and let me see what would happen if I continued on with this thought.  I was horrified and very frightened at the thought of my family disintegrating, of all being lost.  I jumped up from the couch, turned off that TV, and have not watched a single soap opera to this day.

I share this very personal incident because I want to warn others who may be sucked in to temptation by what they watch on TV. Don't clog your life with these worthless shows that draw you away from what is right.  Choose Christian programming or wholesome family movies.  Spend time planning fun activities for your family and spend time with your husband and kids.  Spend time in prayer and reading the Bible.  Become a person who follows hard after God, and you will be rewarded with a joy-filled, clog-free life.

Copyright © 2012 Elaine Beachy