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A Post worth revisting...Posted on December 28, 2007 at 11:25 PM

I was putting away opened Christmas gifts and straightening up the living room today when I knelt on some pine needles stuck in the braided rug...OUCH! I love having a fresh Christmas tree each year, but I do not enjoy the annoyance of the dried needles. Those little buggers seem to find their way under the couches and baseboards, embedding into the rug and furniture. I have found pine needles in obscure places in the middle of summer, months after disposing of the tree and thoroughly cleaning the room...convinced that I removed them all.

Isn't that the way it is with sin in our lives? We all have those little annoying behaviors or attitudes that seem to pop up...weeks, months, or even years after we felt we swept them away and disposed of them. When we least expect it, they reappear...poking us...reminding us of our imperfections and need for continual repentance and forgiveness.

One of my "pine needles" is swearing. When I became a new creature in Christ, I put away the common vulgarities and foul language that is so much a part of today's culture. But every so often, when I stub my toe, slam my finger in a door, or allow myself to be worked into a fit of anger......there it is! As soon as the sound hits my ears, I am annoyed and embarrassed, immediately asking for the forgiveness of those within earshot. Then I spend time during my evening prayers asking for the Lord's forgiveness and ability to overcome the old sins that tend to reappear.

So as you undertake the arduous task of cleaning up the fallen needles from this season's Christmas tree, think about the "pine needles" in your own life that hide and reappear later. Also remember that we serve an awesome God who is forgiving of our sins and shortcomings, and loves us for who we are...pine needles and all!