The Expiration Date
Carol Condon
www.carolcondon.com
It is an
overwhelming task to maintain the inventory of our home. The shopping list is
added to weekly. Although I try very hard, many times I forget to buy a needed
item and accidentally purchase something I already have. The extras are stored
for whenever they will be needed.
One day I
found myself in need of a bottle of Italian salad dressing. I knew I had some
stored in the pantry. As I opened it, I noticed a strong, strange odor. I
turned the bottle over and was shocked when I saw the expiration date. How
could I have had this for so long and not used it? I got to thinking of all the
other items in the pantry. How many more were expired? So, I took a few days
and made it my mission to conduct an expiration date inspection. Was I ever
shocked! I had a countertop full of expired items ranging from pain relievers
and vitamins to canned goods and crackers.
My
biggest shock came from an odor that I traced to our basement. We have an
ancient refrigerator that we use to keep our extra cartons of milk and drinks
in. There was a gallon of chocolate milk that one of the boys put in the door
instead of on the center shelf. This gallon of milk sat forgotten. The carton
had been opened and with each slam of the door drops of soured milk escaped
spilling over time and gathering on the floor. My chore turned into quite an
undertaking; however, I was so thankful to rid our home of these expired items.
Many of them looked harmless but were unusable. The medicine bottles were no
longer effective, the milk had curdled, the oil had turned rancid, the crackers
were stale and the canned goods were no longer safe to use.
I got to
thinking about life. How many items have been stored away forgotten and expired
in the deep recesses of our lives? Hurt feelings, broken hearts, dashed dreams,
failed relationships coupled with offenses and bitterness over unanswered
prayers take up valuable space way past their expiration date. When was the
last time that you conducted an expiration date inspection? Let’s commit our
ways to Him. In other words,
entrust them to Him. We do not want to lose our effectiveness and become
harmful to those around us. Take inventory today!
Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.
Psalm 37:5
