Someone Else’s Slug

Long-haired cats can easily collect debris in their fur. While holding one of our cats, my fingers found a spot of matted fur. I handed the cat to my youngest and proceeded to carefully separate the strands, which seemed to be sticky with sap. Finally, I held out the slightly slimy clump. My daughter calmly announced, “That’s a slug.”

You never heard such howling and carrying on. But, oh, to think that I had handled a slug without the appropriate horror, without the well-deserved disgust! I had needed somebody else to point out the problem before I could provide the proper response.

Sometimes we need someone else’s help to discover what ought to be disposed of in our lives. Others can often identify what needs to change; we may be oblivious to some of our faults. Of course, people can be wrong at times, yet a wise person will at least consider what has been said. And an even wiser person will do something about it if it turns out to be true. God can grant such wisdom; He can bring lasting change to a humble heart.