THE PIGPEN – – – WHAT’S THAT SMELL ?

Of course the pigpen smells bad—real bad, unless you’re the pig farmer.
And if you spend any time in the pigpen, you’re going to smell real bad too.

Just how do you get into the pigpen, because obviously it’s nobody’s idea of fun ?

First, you start wanting what you think you’ve got coming—and you want it now.
It doesn’t matter to you who’s standing in your way, who you have to dishonor, Who you have to disobey—you want it now.

That’s starting to smell—that stinks.

Your wish is granted, but it seriously hurts someone you’re supposed to love (a Father who loves you).
Your stinking thinking means you don’t care—you want it now.
You just want to have fun, and you’ll have money to buy lots of it.

Question: How long will it last ?
Answer: Not long.

Running out of money, and economic wipeout from famine, simultaneously—that stinks—coincidence, or arranged ?

Complete personal crash, and you’re faced with just trying to stay alive—feeding pigs, wanting to eat with pigs, stinking like pigs.
What a place to “come to yourself”, like after unconsciousness from drugs and drinking.
Well, whatever it takes.

Your attitude was stinking from the beginning—money masked the misery inside for a little while.
The truth eventually comes to light.

You were already in the pigpen, even when there were clean sheets on the bed for every night of pleasure that smelled so good.

Thank God for sending us to a stinking pigpen whenever we need to come to our senses, and return home to our Father, and plead our guilt of sin and unworthiness.

– – –

The pigpen—what’s that smell ? —stinking sin, pride, selfishness, stinking pleasures.

Repentance, acceptance, love, forgiveness—what’s that smell ? —barbecued beef—“the fatted calf” butchered for just this occasion—celebration—dead to alive—lost to found—restored to the family.

(Written on the day to remember fifty years of . . .)