Yesterday, I moved a wheelbarrow to a different place in the backyard in preparation for some work I was planning on doing today. However, some things came up, and I never did use it. So, later today I picked it up and began to wheel it back to where I normally store it, and noticed that something had happened overnight. What was once a clean and empty wheelbarrow was now filled with spiderwebs. And not just one, but several, overlaid the entire bed. What struck me was how quickly this had happened. In under a day, it had gone from clean to cobwebs.
I wonder how often the same things happens in other areas of life. Something that was once in good shape quickly deteriorates, or things that were going well suddenly need some work.
One of the laws of thermodynamics says that over time the universe grows in entropy. And it seems like this may be the tendency of more than just the physical items we see and touch. Whether it be our mind, our relationships, or even our character, without diligence, what was once in good shape may start to slide.
Of course, this is not irreversible, but it can and does happen. Which is why it’s important to keep an eye on the condition of our life, our heart, our relationships. Just because they’re in good shape today, doesn’t mean that we won’t need to work on maintaining them tomorrow.