The Little Eaters
By Bill Shepard
We have left the starting line and are on our way into the New Year. The finger of ‘Time’ beckoned and go we must! There will be bumps in the road ahead, watch out for them, especially the little ones! It is usually the little bumps that we come upon unexpectedly that bother us and hinder us the most.
Bill Shepard
This is a story about a man who walked from San Francisco to New York. When he arrived at his destination he was asked what had bothered him most on his journey. One might have expected him to say that the things that bothered him most were climbing the high mountains or crossing the hot deserts or even facing the raging rivers. These things it seems would have been the most hindrance to a man traveling on foot. No, it was none of these; it was the sand that collected in his shoes as he hiked along over the rough terrain.
Whether this story is true or not I cannot say but I do know that, more often than not, it is the little things, like grains of sand, that make our journey through life more difficult. We cross the rivers of opposition and emerge victorious on the other side. After all of these experiences, we are often defeated by some little things that we picked up along the way. Yes, these little ‘eaters’ that have a way of gnawing at us until they get us down. Little ‘eaters’ like grains of sand have a way of attacking and making our journey difficult.
When I read about the man who walked from San Francisco, I was reminded of the time when my Grandpa and I hiked from the old mill village to Black Creek. Grandpa was paying us one of his rare visits and I put in to have him go fishing with me. We went to a place called Horseshoe Lake. I wonder if anyone reading this knows the location of that place? My tennis shoes seemed to always have holes in them and sand easily collected on the inside. Rather than stopping and shaking the sand from my shoes, we kept on walking. When we finally arrived at our destination, I sat beside the water and removed my shoes. I had waited too late; the damage was done. The tiny grains of sand had eaten raw places on both of my feet. What should have been a beautiful experience was marred because of the painful journey back home. If I had only taken the time to rid my shoes of the tiny grains of sand that had collected there! So it is with life’s journey. Little things collect as we go hurrying on until too often the damage is done and we miss out on a lot of the joys we might have had.
Most of us are familiar with the words of the wise man who said that the little foxes spoil the vine. Those little ‘eaters’ that nibble and gnaw and cause one to go limping along void the beauty of it all. Permit me to name just a few of these little ‘eaters.’ There is one that is called jealousy and I read somewhere that it is as ‘cruel as death.’ There is another that is called envy and that one can really make one’s travels to be unpleasant. Another that is close kin to those two is called covetousness. Watch out for that one, it has teeth that are razor sharp! There is no end to these little ‘eaters’, and I could go on naming them, but I am sure that you are reading this know some too. You might even be wrestling with some or limping along while they cause pain and hurt. If that be the case, let me say that you are not alone.
Is there a way to prevent the sand from collecting in our shoes? The answer is, probably not. It comes with the pack of ‘Life.’ Old Job, the patriarch, said it a long time ago, and if anyone is qualified to speak about troubles, it is Job. The man knew the hardness of the journey and he forewarned us. Here’s what he said, “Man that is born of woman is a few days and trouble.” Job 14:1 KJV. I do have this bit of comfort to offer those who may be suffering from the sand in their shoes. God’s grace is sufficient to the need. It may be that the problem is something that you can’t shake loose from. In that case, His strength is sufficient to help you carry it, and even to change it to something beautiful. We are familiar with how the oyster changes the grain of sand into a beautiful pearl. You can do it too! Go ahead, and with the strength from the One who will provide it, change that ugly and painful grain of sand into something lovely.
Mr. Shepard is a native of Darlington, S.C., and a current resident of Piedmont, S.C. He is the author of “Mill Town Boy” and “Bruised”. He has been sharing his tales of growing up in Darlington for decades, and we are delighted to share them each week. His mailing address for letters is: Bill Shepard 324 Sunny Lane, Piedmont, S.C., 29673.
