Beware the Little Things
By: Betsy St. Amant Haddox Catch the foxes for us, the little foxes that spoil the vineyards, for our vineyards are in blossom. - Song of Solomon 2:15 (ESV) Song of Solomon is a fascinating book of the Bible, full of beautiful symbolism and metaphor. One of the more interesting tidbits is that of the fox. In Song of Solomon 2:15, the speaker is referencing foxes as an example of how small predators can create large problems. The speaker here--the bride--is acknowledging that her relationship with her beloved is "blooming". They're engaged, and she's enamored with his love for her. She wants to protect it at all costs from dangers big and small. She's being thorough and wise. I told my daughter the other day that if she would remember to take an extra ten seconds to clean up something as she's done with it, then we wouldn't have to spend an extra hour in her room on a Saturday correcting the bigger mess. That's true in relationships as well. When we ignore the smaller things, the bigger things become less manageable and can quickly overwhelm us. This isn't to say we make every molehill a mountain, so to speak--there are certainly times in marriage when we need to take a deep breath, realize that our spouse is different than us, and choose not to be irritated by unimportant things. But we know the difference. When the lingering, building resentments and moments of bitterness and un-forgiveness go unaddressed and unacknowledged, we're not catching the foxes. 
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