Date: 1/13/2009
<br>Author: Devin Pickard
<br>Title: Trash
<br><br>The term “soapbox” comes from nineteenth century England during a time in which  people didn't have the same rights to free speech as they do today. However, there were certain 'free speech zones' where people were free to voice their opinions, usually of a political nature....something that they couldn't ordinarily do. To gain attention, people would climb on top of soap boxes, which were actually large crates, to be elevated above the crowd. Today, the term means any sort of public outcrying of one's opinion, especially those political in nature since this was the main use of historical soapboxes. Thus, the term 'I'm getting off my soapbox now...' is a modern way to mark that you are at the end of  voicing of your opinion. <br><br><br>Now that we have all the preliminaries cleared up, let me pull out my 21st century soapbox and hop on.  I try to teach my children that the word “hate” is just not a very nice word to use in any situation.  I encourage them to say that they “strongly dislike” this or that....that they “can't stand”  one thing or another.....or just simply try to not say anything at all.  So, at the risk of being called a hypocrite in my own home, I hope none of my young'uns read this.  I HATE litter....I don't just strongly dislike it.....I don't just disdain it.....I don't just abhor it.....I don't just loathe it.....I HATE IT!  Perhaps there are a just few things in life where one could say that “there just isn't any sense in that at all”, but I can assure you that the discarding of trash on the roadside is one of them.  I can in no way gain an understanding as to why some folks, or rather, criminals (to litter is to break the law), think that it's OK to roll down the window in their vehicle and toss out cups, cans, wrappers, bottles, and everything else under the sun in a ditch or on the ground.  These people are arrogant in nature by assuming that they can just do as they please and figure someone else will come in behind them and clean up their mess.  Perhaps these litter-bugs figure that just one bottle or bubble-gum wrapper is not really that big of a deal.  Well, if 100 people a day feel that same way, then you've got 100 bottles and 100 wrappers along the roadside.  Thus, this problem, like so many others, soon snowballs and gets out of hand in a hurry.  All of a sudden we find ourselves virtually living in a landfill and then we scratch our heads and wonder why?<br><br><br>Do you know that the sin in our lives is exactly like the trash on the side of the road?  We are just traveling along and figure that a little sin here or there is not a big deal.....that surely it won't pile up or ruin the landscape of our lives.  We allow one in here and accept one in there and all of a sudden we find ourselves in a mess......and one that will end up smelling a whole lot worse than the thrown out left-overs from last night's supper.  Talk about snowballing.....King David's royal life was just rolling right along until one night's insomnia that eventually lead to a lifetime of guilt and regret.  Read Psalm 51 some time.  You will see through the words penned there a human being who wished he would have never allowed that first little bit of trash in his heart.  From that trash developed a stench that the very best royal perfume couldn't cover up.  But thankfully, as with all the things that are so negligently tossed to the side of the road, we have someone who loves us enough to come in behind and clean up the big mess that we have made of our lives.      <br><br><br>Names like Harry Totty and others come to my mind when I think of good folks who walk the roadside and pick up messes that they have not made themselves.  In case you have never met the one who comes in behind you and cleans up your spiritual mess, let me introduce you to him....his name is Jesus.  Oh, and by the way, he died trying to pick up your garbage.....you might want to tell him “Thank You”.<br><br><br>Go the extra mile – Devin<br>