Why do some feelings still haunt us?
The steak was still sizzling as it was carefully plated along side of a buttery serving of mashed potatoes. As the famished man began to quietly enjoy his evening meal, he was suddenly startled by his door bell… Ding Dong!
The ominous sound rippled throughout his house. His forehead scrunched up in a momentary frown as he considered whether or not he was expecting any guests that night. But no… he wasn’t. And so, he continued enjoying another hearty spoonful of mashed potatoes.
Ding Dong! There it was again… the sound of the doorbell. He began to wonder who it could be. But before he could make a guess, the doorbell rang again. This time it was swiftly accompanied by a series of fierce knocks on the door.
“Could this be a bugler?” the young man wondered aloud. His blood pressure began to rise. BOOM BOOM BOOM! The knocks on his front door now sounded like hammers being slammed against it.
But what was most alarming of all was that the door bell started to ring nonstop. The violent assault on his senses drove the young man to cower in a corner. He wondered what deranged criminal or abomination was threatening to burst into his house.
Since the ringing and knocking wouldn’t stop, the young man grimly decided to accept his fate. He was going to open the door. At least he would be able to see the face of the criminal before his life was over.
After saying a quick prayer, and taking a deep breath, he hesitantly swung the door open. And when he looked down, there in front of him was a little girl who was dressed head-to-toe in a girl scout outfit. She held out a box of cookies and sweetly said, “Good evening sir, would you like to buy a box of girl scout cookies?”
Many times our emotions and thoughts can be like this persistent girl scout who may be loudly knocking on our front door of our minds. The only reason why they don’t seem to go away, is because they are waiting for us to notice them and listen to their message. Until we do… the ringing and knocking will only grow more daunting over time.
