Bitterness...

bit·ter (btr)


adj. bit·ter·er, bit·ter·est 1. Having or being a taste that is sharp, acrid, and unpleasant. 2. Causing a sharply unpleasant, painful, or stinging sensation; harsh: enveloped in bitter cold; a bitter wind. 3. Difficult or distasteful to accept, admit, or bear: the bitter truth; bitter sorrow.4. Proceeding from or exhibiting strong animosity: a bitter struggle; bitter foes.5. Resulting from or expressive of severe grief, anguish, or disappointment: cried bitter tears.6. Marked by resentment or cynicism: "He was already a bitter elderly man with a gray face" (John Dos Passos).

The word in itself is prickly and by it's defination a negative and nasty thing.  Why is it then that we seem to enjoy it so much?  I see so many people who seem to savor it, rolling the taste around on their tongues, swallowing the dark, ugly thing in gulps. It may be sugar coated in pride and self-centreness but the coating only last a short time and you are left with the sharp, painful seed that takes root in your soul.  It is a weed that strangles out anything else.  It grows and poisons and begins to manifest in our lives and the lives of those around us.  It feeds our natural tendancies towards anger and hurtfulness. It is a black hole that will envelope anything around.  It will leave you empty and alone.

Thankfully there is an anidote for bitterness, it is grace, it is mercy. 

Grace and mercy may be harder to swallow at first.  It does not need any sugar coating, difficult though as it does go against our natural tendencies to reciprocate hurt for hurt, injustice for injustice. Unlike bitterness, grace and mercy soften us, it nurishes the soil of our souls to produce things of beauty and loveliness.  It grows glorious trees whoes roots grow deep, whoes branches grow strong and and reach out to shelter and cover those who need protection.  It grows flowers that are spectaclar in their colors and scents, drawing others to them. 

I will take the antidote everytime and am thankful that there is an endless supply that is freely given.