I don’t like trash. I don’t like it when it smells. I don’t like it when it’s full. I don’t like taking it out. Basically, as a general rule, I just avoid trash as much as I can.

But, contrary to my rule, here I am, writing a blog about it. And here I am in the picture, taking it out to the curb. That’s the funny thing about garbage, no matter how many times you watch the dump truck driving away with it, you always accumulate more.

Garbage isn’t something we plan, it just happens. I have yet to meet a person who starts out their day with the goal of accumulating garbage (hopefully I never will). Trash is a byproduct of life. If you eat candy, you have to deal with the wrapper. If you wear clothes, one day they will be worn out. Even that new TV you just bought will eventually lose it’s value and become worthless. As the days go by, the trash level rises.  Before long it must be dealt with.

That’s where taking it out comes into play. This is a weekly process, for some people it might be daily. No one can live in a house full of garbage. So if we can’t, why do we expect God to?

1 Corinthians tells us that our bodies are the temple (or dwelling place) of the Lord. We have to not only deal with our physical trash, but our spiritual trash as well - the junk that collects in our heart and pushes God out of it. Without even realizing it, we start to pick up garbage. The movies we watch, the books we read, and the things we see and hear at school can begin to build up in our hearts. Even past accomplishments can stand in the way of a relationship with God.

Everyone has to take time to “take out the trash” that builds up in their minds and hearts, and I think most people do. The problem arrises when people don’t realize how often they have to take it out.

You see, people don’t think about the garbage unless they see it spilling out over the lid, or they smell the strong odor of spoiled food. It’s the same in our spiritual lives, we don’t think about the trash in our hearts until it becomes visible on the outside.

Think you might have some trash in your life? Well, I’ve got good news for you...

Today is garbage day.

The Cricket's Song

At least seven or eight years ago, my mom and I were sitting outside in our backyard. It was a muggy, summer day. The weather was rapidly turning from hot to cold. Huge black storm clouds were rolling in. All of creation seemed to sense there was a terrible storm approaching. Except for our voices, there was complete silence. Not a single twig snapped and not a single leaf rustled against another. It was the calm before the storm. 

Then, a single cricket began to chirp.

Years later, this moment is still with me. Although I can't hear the cricket's song anymore, it's echo has been etched into my heart.

Wind. Rain. Thunder. Lightning. Some of the most powerful forces in nature didn't stop the cricket from singing. It was as if he knew the storm was coming, but he was determined to stand. 

That cricket taught me a very important lesson about praise: even in the storm, sing. When you feel small and insignificant: sing. When you are the only one: sing. When everyone else has run for cover: sing. When your world feels like it's being pulled apart by the most powerful forces in nature: still sing. Still Praise. Never lose your song.

Red

Genesis 25:24-25, So when her days were fulfilled for her to give birth, indeed there were twins in her womb. And the first came out red. He was like a hairy garment all over; so they called his name Esau.

Genesis 25:27-28 So the boys grew. And Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field; but Jacob was a mild man, dwelling in tents. And Isaac loved Esau because he ate of his game, but Rebekah loved Jacob.

As I was reading this verse, I asked myself, aloud, why was he red? 

I did the thing that I know every preacher does, I looked the word red up in the original Hebrew. And man, as I sat there waiting for the page to load, I just knew that the definition was going to be epic. Life shattering. Are you ready? The Hebrew word 'admoniy' literally means.... Red. 

Wow. That was a waste of a perfectly good 10 seconds. 

But, seriously, red does mean something. Some website I found states the following “Red can symbolize many things; from blood, to love, to infatuation.  Basically red symbolizes strong emotions, or things of strong emotions rather than intellectual ideas.  For example, red can symbolize excitement, energy, speed, strength, danger, passion, and aggression.”

Did you catch that?!? In verse 27, Genesis says that Esau was a skillful hunter. Now I don’t really know much about hunting, shocker right? But I can guess what the phrase “the thrill of the hunt” means. When Esau was hot on the trail of his prey he could probably feel the adrenaline exploding in his veins. He could smell the danger and thrill as he ran through the underbrush. 

I can just picture this guy. He was huge. Hairy. Red. Raw with passion. 

We know that his dad preferred Esau over Jacob, because he actually ate what Esau killed.  Can you imagine? This big, buff, sweaty, hairy, loud guy barreling into his father’s tent with the carcass of a lion, and he bellows, “We're going to eat good tonight pops!”

Isaac proudly slaps him on the back and announces, “That's my boy!” He pauses and looks around, “But, where’s your brother?” 

All of a sudden the entire camp turns and looks as they hear this pitiful wheezing sound. They all watch in astonishment as this scrawny person doubled over with fatigue half runs up to his father, “Look at what I caught!” He then holds up a rabbit that is even scrawnier then he is!

His dad kinda laughs and looks back to Esau, “Well, we’re going to eat good tonight, right, Esau?”

Are you getting the picture? Esau had everything going for him. He was the firstborn son. The sole heir to his father’s entire property. He was talented. He had the personality that attracted everyone to him. His Father's favorite son. 

Then, one day, Everything went south for Esau. Verse 29-30, Now Jacob cooked a stew; and Esau came in from the field, and he was weary. And Esau said to Jacob, “Please feed me with that same red stew, for I am weary.” Therefore his name was called Edom.” 

Then, sly, mama’s boy Jacob, squints his shifty eyes and says in his smooth voice, “Sell me your birthright as of this day.” 

Then Esau, in his weariness, in his desperation, cries out, “Look, I am about to die; so what is this birthright to me?”

Jacob sets the scrumptious bowl in front of Esau, then takes it away quickly, “Swear it.” He says, “Swear to me as of this day.” 

Esau gives in “Alright, I swear it!”

And that was it. Verses 33-34 says, “So he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob. And Jacob gave Esau bread and stew of lentils; then he ate and drank, arose, and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.”

It’s amazing what we will do when we are weary! All of us want to go to heaven, we want to have a relationship with God, but we have to be careful. Galatians 6:9 says, “and let us not be weary in well doing, for in due season we shall reap if we faint not.”

Look at that, “if we faint not.” The Bible doesn’t guarantee that we will make it to heaven. It makes a conditional statement here, if.  If we faint not. If we choose to live for God. If we accept the call God has placed on our lives.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve just been tired. I had promises from God before, I had awesome moments at the altar, but at one point, I was just sick of the whole thing. Sick of always trying my best to be good and do everything your supposed to. Sick of making sacrifices. Sick of always being the good Christian girl. 

I think everyone has moments like this. It’s at these times when you have to be extra careful. In desperation, you can trade your entire inheritance for a bowl of soup. Sure, it’s good when your eating. It tastes good while your drinking, but after you get up and go about your life, you have to suffer the consequences. You have baggage now. You start to look at the things of God with distain. You learn to hate what you were once promised to inherit. 

“Thus Esau despised his birthright.”

There is good news, however! God will pick you up wherever you are in life, He will forgive you. You can start again. 

Now, this doesn’t mean that you get a second chance. Esau went on in life to become the father of a nation, but he never got his birthright back. He never had the life he could have. 

Even with all his talents, all his passion, his energy, his speed, his skills, even with all his redness, God still chose someone else. He overlooked Esau. He gave Esau’s lands and riches to his little brother Jacob!