The Lesson I Learned From A Fly

Our church hosted the N.A.M.E. (Native American Ministries Evangelism) Conference this week and oh what a wonderful blessing I received in each service. Thursday night I got home after service and my sweet husband had left the porch light on for me so that It would not be so dark as I came in. I was very thankful because it is pitch black outside in the country at night however I had to walk through a wall of bugs to get in the house. When I opened the back door to enter the house I walked in with two flies, a huge moth, and a couple little flying creatures. I could get the moth and the other flying creatures out the back door with not too much effort but I could not get the flies out no matter how hard I tried. I finally got out the handy fly swatter and with a little chasing was able to get rid of one of the flies. I could not even find the other. So, after 30 minutes of chasing flying creatures around my house, I decided to call it a night.

The next morning I was getting ready for the service and the poor little fly decided to show himself. I chased him around for a little while and then decided that I really needed to get ready and I would chase him down later and with any luck, he would just fly out the door when I got ready to leave. Well, the pesky little thing followed me into the bathroom and right into the shower. I decided that I would get him this time. I took the showerhead and sprayed him with it, he fluttered around for a little while and finally fell into the water, he struggled and finally succumbed to the water and drowned.

As soon as he hit the water the thought crossed my mind, Did the fly not know that I would not stop until he was dead until he succumbed to my persistent chase and that my desire to take his life was stronger than my desire to let him live in my world? I wondered if he ever even thought to find an exit, to find some way to get away from this big bad woman with fly swat that would not allow him to land and rest for one minute. Did it think that I would give him a safe environment, a place of rest, a place of shelter from his trouble and struggles? I immediately started thinking how different this fly was from the moth and the other winged creatures that came into my world the night before.

They were all gathered around the light, to that thing that takes them out of the dark, yet a few of them decided to wander away from the light, to follow something different, to explore a world that they did not know. The moth realized right away that he was outside his element, that it was scary in that strange world and his best chance for life was to retreat. He ran back to the light that was his safe place, his shelter, his life. The fly however got comfortable, thought that he could make it. Oh, how wrong he was.

I cannot begin to tell you how this spoke to me. Lord help me to be like the moth, help me to realize that the devil will not stop until he destroys me. He would like nothing more than to separate me from God and completely take my life. He will not stop and he will pursue me until I have no more strength to getaway. Like the moth I will if I find myself overwhelmed in darkness, fly to the light. I will pursue God, I will desire the things of God. That little pesky fly reminded me this weekend that I’m in a battle for my life and that my best is yet to come. God reminded me of an old song that I remember singing as a child, I have been singing it all weekend and oh what beautiful communion I have had with him over the past few days.

So let the storms rage high
The dark clouds rise
They won’t worry me
For I’m sheltered safe within the arms of God
He walks with me
And naught of earth can harm me
For I’m sheltered in the Arms of God.

I’m thankful for God's hand of protection and for his gentle reminders that I am safe in his arms and under his blood.