Poison Ivy

      We were very sad, when our next-door neighbors moved away, after having been such good neighbors for a number of years. These neighbors had given us extra plants, from their garden, including a tiny lilac bush, which was now taller than me.
      We saw that new neighbors had moved into that house. As soon as we could, we walked over to meet them and brought a pie, as a welcome gift.
      Later in the week, as I was weeding the garden, one of the new neighbors walked by and pointed out some poison ivy, growing on the edge of our garden, and spreading poison ivy leaves onto the sidewalk. Never having had poison ivy, I do not identify it readily.
      I dutifully donned rubber gloves and began pulling up the poison ivy. My plan was to stuff it all into a plastic bag and dispose of it. Unfortunately, the poison ivy vines were too long, trailing on the ground, and it was difficult to pull it up, without the leaves brushing on my unexposed arm. Though I tried to avoid contact with this plant, some might have lightly brushed my arm.
      The snakelike vines were so long, that pulling them up dislodged rocks in the garden wall. It was not possible to fit the vines into a bag, so I carried them to the leaf-pile, careful not to expose any leaves or vines to my skin. It appeared that all the poison ivy was removed and I carefully removed the rubber gloves, threw them in the bag and sealed the bag and threw it away.
I washed up arms and legs, that might have had contact with the leaves. All seemed well and the
poison ivy was gone.
      However, a week later, a rash emerged on my arm, right above the wrist, where the rubber gloves ended, and where the poison ivy might have brushed my arm. It was an annoying, itchy rash, but controlled with a cream. It lasted for several weeks and was gone.
      So, it was with life as a human being. In uprooting sin, we must take utmost care, having the protection of Messiah Jesus, who paid the price for us. We must have His complete covering and protection over all of us and not only the hands. We can have this protection by confessing our sin and asking Him to live in our heart always and be our Savior.