Today, a Thursday, before my garbage run I stopped at a local mall to pick up a few items. When I returned to where I parked, there was a murder of crows fluttering around the bed of my pickup. Not only had they pecked open the waiting to be dropped off garbage bags (showing particular attention to tea bags they discovered - leading me to believe they were English Crows) they also left a plentiful amount of crow "caw-caw" all over my fenders. The lesson here - don't leave your garbage unattended in public for long.

That's not only a good lesson to apply to garbage - but to all of life as well. Let's face it. We all have those moments when, in the view of others, we blow it. Whether a joke that turns out to be in very poor taste, an outburst of temper that hurts your family, or being caught manipulating office politics, the private intent of our hearts can quickly become the unwanted building blocks of our reputation. When it happens we have two choices: to come clean about what we have done or leave it there for others to pick at.

Now, of course, the greatest importance when we sin is that we confess to God and get right with Him. However, when our transgressions are public so must our confession and repentance be. We may like to hope that what we have done is forgotten or dismissed, but moving on too soon not only risks neglecting reconciliation with silent ones who have been wronged, it also leaves us vulnerable to the picking of those who witnessed our weakness. This can hinder the effect of a changed life in future encounters.

No one likes to humble themselves publicly when they have already humiliated themselves, but sometimes in life you just have to eat crow - or they will eat you.