the core

i've heard horror stories about college roommates who left cheese and fruit to mold in their fridges through the winter break and then just ended up throwing out the whole fridge come summer. apparently, nobody wanted to man up and deal with the moldy mess. it's gross how we let decay creep up on us, right?

well, this week i succumbed to the delicious ripened smell of fresh strawberries. julie bought them for me from the fruit man :) although i'm normally good at putting groceries away, this time i just let them sit on the table. (why? i don't even know!)

one day later, i saw a bit of mold on a few strawberries :( well, instead of washing and picking the healthy ones free from badly influenced ones, i put the whole container in the fridge and let them continue to fester.

today, i decided this could not go on. so i put them in a colander and assessed the damage. well gadzooks, for the love of strawberries! i immediately felt regret at my procrastination. as i could have saved so many more healthy, delicious, red strawberries from the cruel and unusual punishment of a slow rot. i tried to save some with only slight superficial damage, but alas, the stubborn decay had penetrated deeply into the core of the berry. they could not be saved....

lessons learned:
1) never procrastinate the process of storing and keeping foods in a cool, dry place. (mother nature is merciless)
2) we are like fruit. inner decay spreads quickly if not dealt with at first signs of symptoms. our cores are easily susceptible to growing bitterness and rot, even when exterior appearances look fresh as berries (pun intended).

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. - Ephesians 6:12