A Little Folly

Ecclesiastes 10:1 – As dead flies give perfume a bad smell, so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor. (NIV)

My brother and I didn't have the opportunity to go to a cottage very often, so it was a real treat when my parents' friend offered to take my parents and the two of us in his truck to a bonfire down at the lake. Stars twinkled above us, and, as we watched the sparks from our fire wind their way up to the night sky, my mother told us of the first settlers who came to the new world with Champlain. "They tried to spend their first winter on the island in the river below the cottage," she explained. The night was cool, so, after we had roasted our wieners, we went inside to play games and tell stories. Everything seemed perfect until we had an unexpected visitor. Somehow the scent of a skunk can ruin a beautiful evening.

Later, on our way home, with the scent of skunk spray still in the air, our friend made up a silly poem about having to bury all our clothes. My brother and I thought that it was funny, and we started saying the lines over and over again. "You would remember something silly like that, but how about remembering a Bible verse instead," the friend suggested.

Years later, I have to admit that this friend was right. Time has passed, and, although I still remember the poem, I've forgotten the Scripture he quoted. The incident has left me wondering, "Are God's words being crowded out of our minds by the trivial things in our lives?"

Prayer: Dear God, we come to You today, asking You to help us give Your Word priority in our lives. Amen.

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