What You Leave Behind

This morning I was at my kitchen sink finishing up a weeks worth of cleaning. I stood looking out the window, past the trees in my front yard to the roadway below.  After a few seconds, I noticed a car stop abruptly beside of my garbage can.  A man quickly jumped out and reached for an old, broken shower door I had hauled to the roadway this week. I watched as he inspected the metal frame then proceeded to stomp out all of the glass in order to take with him his small treasure of scrap metal. I can only assume he was planning on cashing it in for a little money.

On the ground is now this pretty prism of sharp glass shards of all sizes.... sharp, broken pieces of glass left in an area of my yard where neighborhood children frequently play and wait for the school bus.  My roadside visitor stopped briefly intent on finding and gaining his treasure, then scurried away leaving someone else to clean up a dangerous mess.

In all of my dealings, whether personal or professional, there is always something I leave behind....we all do. An impression, a legacy, a thought... Today I wonder how many times I have taken some of life's treasures only to leave behind broken shards of glass upon which others coming after me may stumble or fall; causing pain or scars. How many scars do I hold in my heart caused by broken glass left behind by another?

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law." Galatians 5:22-23

My God in Whom I place all trust, You are good and You give good gifts to the ones You love.  I know the fruits of  Your Spirit. As a branch coming from the vine of Your Spirit, constantly pruned by You, help me in all of my dealings to leave behind treasure just as precious as that which I may take. I love you.