Wasted Nickels

Peanuts' Lucy promises, "For a nickel, I can cure anything."  Even a brief look into her practice would reveal more than enough evidence for charges of malpractice.

Just ask good ol' Charlie Brown.  Her advice is about as reliable as her football-holding.  Yet, Charlie returns to the kicking position and advice booth over and over and over.

Who knew that two-dimensional character could frustrate me so much?

The folly of Brown reminds me of the fool of Proverbs.

As a dog returns to its vomit,
    so fools repeat their folly.
Proverbs 26:11 (NIV)

While the author "draws" a revolting image, the image proves effective.  I picture the dopey dog circling back to the very location of his projectile puking - eager to return the contents to their original place.  Then, just as the Wisdom Literature intends, I picture my own "circling backs."  While the desire to eat my own vomit has never drawn me in, I have returned, in the words of the New Testament's Paul, "to do what I do not want to do."

While, let's face it, Lucy is a jerk, Charlie could choose to save his nickels and find a different placekick holder. 

To what do you continue to return?  Where are you foolishly spending nickels?  Who's hindering you from actually making contact with that ball?  Charlie has a choice.  So do we. 

Here's to well-spent nickels!  (Hint:  Don't give them to Lucy.)

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