"Pig Poop"

I heard him holler “suey,”

I knew he’d bought some pigs,

He said I’d learn to like ‘em,

Dad wouldn’t soon renege.

And soon I was a-feedin’,

Part of my daily chore,

These two pigs for killin’,

And then he’d buy some more.

I loved to be a-horseback,

And there was lots of that,

Checkin’ for sick yearlings,

And work to keep ‘em fat.

I didn’t mind the fence work,

Though it could wear you out,

Stretchin’, patchin’ bob wire,

And settin’ posts real stout.

Even that old hay field,

As hot as hot can be,

I learned to drive a two-ton,

I could tolerate, you see.

But feeding those two piggies,

Really made me sick,

They’d run and hit the bucket,

Full of slop and thick.

We kept ‘em in a dog pen,

With a slanted concrete floor,

I washed it when it’s nasty,

From the back up to the door.

I didn’t always wash it,

As often as I should,

Dad was gone and busy,

Didn’t check the hogs too good.

One time I’m in a hurry,

The pen was nasty wet,

And those two pigs came runnin’,

They planned to get me yet.

I slipped down in the hog pen,

And like a slip-and-slide,

Way down to the other end,

It muddied up my pride.

The worst is that the pig poop,

Had got all over me,

And that’s the worst old do-do,

In God’s whole world you see.

I came up to the back door,

Just as Mom came out,

She said, “Lord, you can’t come in here!,”

Said use the hose no doubt.

I hate those nasty critters,

Except when on a plate,

Bacon, ham and barbeque,

I never hardly wait.

But the moral of the story,

Is sometimes when you fall,

Into a pile of something,

Though it may smell bad, y’all,

It’s really not the ending,

That you might think it is,

Just get up soon as ever,

And please remember this,

You can get a clean-up,

And later you can eat,

And some old pig can give you,

A mighty tasty treat.

“A washed pig returns to the mud…” (2 Peter 2:22, NLT)

Whatever you do, don’t go back to your old life. We help people in recovery, remembering that we are all recovering from something. A huge part of their counsel is concerning what happens when they are finished with whatever rehab they are doing. What will you do when you go back home? Stay away from danger. Keep away from unsafe people and places. No more old playmates or playgrounds. We help former inmates with job training and placement. The same advice holds for them. You’ve paid your debt to society, and now it’s time to get on with your life. Stay clear of situations that pull you down. Some never look back. Some, about 67.5 per cent, get re-arrested, and that’s why we’re working on the problem. Thank God, our percentages are much better. What about spiritual recidivism? Peter, who knew something about false starts and bold denials, compared it to a dog returning to its vomit or a cleaned pig going back to the mud. What’s up with that? It’s in their nature, and until that nature is supernaturally changed by the grace of God, back-sliding is inevitable. If you’re struggling, don’t fight the battle alone. Get with someone you trust and ask for help. Don’t look back and don’t go back. Keep on, keeping on, in Jesus’ name.

Lord, help us never return to our old life, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Ann Hanson, annhanson.com. Used by permission. Thanks, Ann, and God bless you.