Don’t ignore your own obstacles

Published 12:00 am Saturday, December 28, 2013

I have a gift. I can walk into any room of my home and not only
spot an object that is out of place, but I can name the person to whom the item belongs. Much to my family’s dismay, I do this on a regular basis.
I’m not worried about the box
of framed photos that has been
in my living room since June.
That doesn’t bother me at all. Until
I decide which ones I will rehang and which photos I will add to albums, the large brown box barely able to hold all of the frames will remain in plain sight. Surely I’ll
get around to emptying it one
day.
What about the storage bin of fabric in my bedroom? That doesn’t upset me either. Those beautiful pieces will be made into dresses for my grandchildren, scarves and maybe even something for myself. The bin has been there so long that
Michael and I have learned to
walk around it. As soon as I can find a spot in the garage, I’ll move it.    
I’m not even disturbed by the growing stack of papers tucked between books on the side of my desk. Don’t ask me what’s written on them, but I’m sure each one is important. Besides, when we are expecting guests, I pick them all up and put them in my computer bag next to the box of photos.
My messes don’t aggravate me. In fact, I hardly notice them at all. It’s the faults of others that I focus on, and that’s wrong.
When I take a look inside of my heart, I must admit to messes that I’ve overlooked there as well. There are thoughts that I shouldn’t be thinking, impatience that I’m trying to ignore and pockets of pride that need to be emptied.
Jesus addressed this issue of ignoring your faults when He said in Matthew 7:4, “How can you think of saying, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye?”
Today, I’m going to start removing a few logs.
Ronny may be reached at rmichel@rtconline.com.