Wednesday, November 01, 2017

Cut to the chase!






Did you know that beard shavers can get moldy and go bad?  I didn’t know it either. Why else would they seal my new beard shaver in indestructible, bullet proof plastic? I did a little research to unlock this mystery.



James William Lewis needs to go to the electric chair. This idiot was the guy in Chicago who was suspected to tampering with and putting poison Tylenol Bottles in 1982.  He was never convicted.    Of course this resulted in our having seals on the top of everything from milk, to medicine, to mustache trimmers.   I can understand sealing food, milk and other perishables. I can suffer a bit of inconvenience in the interest of public safety.  



 So let’s fast forward to our vacation a week ago. Joni and I were browsing through a store in Coos Bay, picking up some items. I needed a new beard trimmer.  My old trimmer’s parts had jumped ship ad escaped.



So I bought a new beard trimmer.



The last beard trimmer I bought was in a nice, easy to open box. I used the process I always use with new stuff. Open the box, pull out the trimmer. Toss the directions. Use the trimmer and cut my face to shreds. Dig directions out of recycles to help me to literally save face.



But this is the new millennium. My new beard whacker was sealed for eternity in a hard plastic covering. So I’ll just pull it apart. Yeah right.  So I try the time honored approach to opening anything. Did you know teeth don’t work well with hard plastic?  But hey, I’m a guy. I can solve this, so out comes the old pocket knife.  Then I have flashbacks of stabbing myself in the hand with the knife, so back it goes to my pocket.  By this time, I’m not letting a plastic package get the better of me, so I march to my mini shop. 



Each guy usually has two shops.  There is the main shop in the garage which holds tools, sleeping bags, Christmas decorations, and a lot of my kids stuff.  But first, I go to the mini shop which is the junk, (tool) drawer in the kitchen.  Note to self.  Replace my wife’s favorite sewing with a pair that will cut hard plastic.



By now, I felt like one of the seven dwarfs. (not Doc. The other one that starts with a “D”) Come on sing with me; “Hi-Ho-Hi- Ho, It’s to the shop I go…”  When I get to the garage, I survey my options.  A chain saw would cut it open but there could be collateral damage to me and the trimmer. Besides, I loaned it out and forgot who has it.  After considering a crowbar, an ax and a blow torch, I decide on a pair of tin snips. These bad boys will cut through most anything It breezed through the packing, the instructions, and almost my finger, but SUCCESS!!!!







I’m so glad our Savior is not wrapped in military grade, super strength plastic.



The scripture makes this very clear in Romans 8:37-39.  It says, “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.



The next time you find yourself using your teeth to rip into a plastic bag of tools, or a new phone, remember that the King of Kings and Lord of Lords is easily assessable.  No hard plastic packaging, just prayer.  He is easy to get to, and always ready to extend His grace, love and peace whenever we need it.



If you will excuse me, I have to open a new plastic bag of guitar picks. Where are my bolt cutters….