My stepfather was the town garbage man. That didn’t bother me. He was a good man, and it was an honest occupation. He did the rounds in the residential areas as well as the grocery stores and pretty much everywhere else in our small town.

In those days, the town garbage man was allowed to bring home things tossed out in the residential areas he served. Every once in a while my dad would even bring home a box of books just for me! I was only nine years old when he brought home “Beautiful Joe”, by (Margaret) Marshall Saunders – a book I fell in love with, and read many times. The book was written in the form of an autobiography of an animal, educating people on cruelty to animals. I didn’t know at the time it was the story of a real dog, in Meaford, Ontario.

By the time I was in the sixth grade, it was clear to me that my classmates at school thought I should be ashamed of my dad’s occupation. I couldn’t understand why. We all need the garbage man! What happens when the garbage men go on strike? It doesn’t take long before we realize how much we need them. We don’t like to keep garbage in our kitchens or bathrooms any longer than necessary. We take it out daily if possible so it won’t stink up our homes or grow mold or other undesirables.

But what about the garbage in our souls? Sin is our default, but the Lord Jesus Christ died on the cross order to make a way for us to be forgiven.

“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” – 1 John 1:8,9  

Unless we bring our sins to our Redeemer daily – even moment by moment – it grows and multiplies and causes all kinds of stink and pain for us and for those around us. By His death and resurrection, Jesus Christ is the only one who can take our sins and make them go away. We must keep short accounts with Him.