Lessons From The Farm – Splinters and Bitterness

Splinters

Splinters are a big part of life here at the farm. We are always out in the garden working here. From when the sun brilliantly peeks over the horizon in the morning and greets us for a long day to the last rays shining through the trees as the night fades to black and we all come back home to sit around the table and enjoy a meal together at night.

From the rough handles of rakes, shovels, picks, hoes, and the beloved wheelbarrow they are all culprits of doing a number on unsuspecting hands and fingers. Big ones, small ones, the ones you don’t realize you have at all until several days later when you hit it on something, and BAM! The pain!  It is swollen, and red, and on the way to a big infection and needs to be dealt with now.

Splinters And Children

Ah, the splinters of childhood are the worst nightmare of any parent of dear children who love to run barefoot across the yard. That would be me! I’ve had my fair share of them, if you haven’t gathered it yet I was the little gypsy that ran around outdoors with my mom and twin barefoot and loving every minute of it- well almost every minute right up until I stepped on a dreaded stick. There was more than one night that ended with mom pulling a piece of wood out of my foot. It hurt a lot, but once it was out it always felt better.

Splinters And Bitterness

Have you ever stopped to think about how much bitterness is kind of like splinters?

As long as you hold on to it, it’s going to hurt you. The root of bitterness can be very small and at first, you may barely even notice it is there. It can be something that made you angry with someone.  A hurt feeling. An offense was taken and held onto. But that tiny splinter won’t stay tiny long. It’s going to fester and spread make you miserable. If you continue to hold onto it, you’ll make those around you miserable too. But once you let it go, you are free to heal (and walk barefoot again) and be whole again. 

Let’s Look At Bitterness In The Bible

A foolish son is a grief to his father And bitterness to her who bore him.  Proverbs 17:25

The heart knows its own bitterness, And a stranger does not share its joy. Proverbs 14:10

Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!  Isaiah 5:20

While another dies with a bitter soul, Never even tasting anything good.  Job 21:25

And I discovered more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and nets, whose hands are chains. One who is pleasing to God will escape from her, but the sinner will be captured by her.  Ecclesiastes 7:26

A sated man loathes honey, But to a famished man any bitter thing is sweet.  Proverbs 27:7

“I loathe my own life; I will give full vent to my complaint; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.  Job 10:1

But in the end she is bitter as wormwood, Sharp as a two-edged sword.  Proverbs 5:4

But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth.  James 3:14

For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bondage of iniquity.”  Acts 8:23

When my heart was embittered And I was pierced within,  Psalm 73:21

She said to them, “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. Ruth 1:20

Husbands, love your wives and do not be embittered against them. Colossians 3:19

“Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness”;  Romans 3:14