Science in the Graveyard

Up on a grassy hillside near our garden we have a graveyard. This summer my little scientist friend and I marched up there twice. Our guinea pig had gotten sick and died, first. With a shovel we tried to chop away at the hard dry ground, and soon went to get the hose. When the hole was deep enough we laid the little animal to rest. A few days later one of our rabbits died suddenly. Out came the shovel and we worked a long time to make her a grave. As we covered her up with dirt, we thought of how she was really gone now. Gone, and soon to be forgotten.

Why did we bury the dead animals? It was a lot of work and time, but it was important. Dead bodies attract wild animals and flies, as well as making a horrible smell. Who would want a rotting animal lying around? I wouldn’t! I want to be around live things, don’t you? When something is dead, it is time to bury it away in a grave. Though they once were our pets, now we have to cover them up and forget them.

Can you figure out the science lesson of the graveyard? There are other things besides dead animals that we need to bury. There are bad attitudes and hard feelings to bury. God can help you get rid of selfishness and anger. He can kill the problem and help you to bury it, too. I’ve heard someone say, “I forgive you… but it was really mean what you did.” Is that really forgiving them? If something is dead, it is not a good idea to carry it around with you. Soon you’ll start to stink! So if you carry around little “poor me” and “they are mean” thoughts, you will start having a bad attitude again. When we ask God to help us with our heart problems, we need to dig a deep hole and cover them well with forgetfulness. You don’t want to smell a rotting attitude again, do you?