The following post was written by David Porter, a friend and missionary.
Once I nearly stepped on a rattlesnake. My dad loved hunting and I trailed behind him for many a mile through the forests of southwestern Arkansas, where I grew up.
One day, when I was about ten, I walked along beside him thinking about, I don’t know what, when suddenly Dad yelled, “Stop!” You have to understand that Dad was mild-mannered and rarely raised his voice. When he cried out like that, you obeyed.
I screeched to a halt and looked just in front of me. A big rattlesnake waited, eyes blazing, ready to sink his ugly fangs into me. Dad raised his shotgun and blasted the snake to wherever snakes go when they die.
Horseflies
That episode scared me, but, you know, I’ve had very few problems with rattlesnakes during my life. Horseflies, though, are another story.
One time we were in the Ardennes mountains in the north of Luxembourg for a youth camp. One afternoon I walked alone in the quiet forest. Down and down I traipsed, thinking all the while, “I’m going to pay for this when I have to climb back up.”
I scared a few deer as I passed alongside a noisy stream, descending through the woods to a river further below. The quiet beauty of the forest consumed me.
Somewhere in the walk I heard, “Bzzzzzzzzz! Bzzzzzzzz! Bzzzzzzzzz!” around my head. “Ahhhh! A horsefly!” I snatched off my St Louis Cardinals baseball cap and swatted at him.“Bzzzzz, bzzzzzzz, bzzzzzzzz!” I swiped at the back of my head with my hand.
My imagination conjured pictures of me yelping in pain as the little critter sank his horsy teeth into my neck (do they have teeth?).I still enjoyed my walk, but somewhat less, because I was being periodically dive-bombed and strafed by my little tormented.
I decided that the next time I went for a walk, I was going to invite someone really sweaty to go with me, to draw the horseflies away.
Mosquitos
And mosquitos. Do you know what the loudest noise in the world is? It explodes at 2 a.m. in the morning when you hear, “Eeeeeeeeeeeeeee, eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee, eeeeeeeeeeee” Then silence. That silence is the loudest noise in the world, because you’re now wide-awake thinking, “Is he on my wife or on me?”
If it was a bomb or hand grenade, you would hope that you would get it. Since it’s only a mosquito you hope it’s her, since she’s sleeping anyway and she won’t suffer until tomorrow morning.I could add knats and flies to the list.
You know, if you add it all together, little bugs have caused me a hundred times more discomfort and worry in life than rattlesnakes.
Little Worries
It’s the same with little worries and little problems. Most of us fear the big blows of life—the “rattlesnakes” of the sudden loss of a loved one, a terminal disease, or a financial disaster. Those things come, but not very often.
When they do, we usually dig in and get the grace the Lord Jesus offers us when we are in need.But sometimes I’m buzzed by a “horsefly” at 10 a.m. in the morning. I sit merrily, working at my desk, wondering how life could possibly be so good when the phone rings.
My cheery “hello” melts into a limp defense, as the person on the other end of the line shares that he isn’t completely happy with the way I do things. He just thought he would help me grow as a person, by letting me know where I fall short.
“Bzzzzzzzzz!” Or how about that time, when you just knew that the world as you knew it, would cease to exist if that person didn’t do the thing that she said she would do on time? And she didn’t! “Eeeeeeeee!”
And that little sin in your life that you just can’t seem to conquer? (Because you don’t really want to?). It’s so much fun to criticize others and feel superior. Maybe sneak a peek at something you ought not to peek at.
No problem, except .. except you don’t sense God’s presence and blessing like before. “Bzzzzzz!” How do you smash horseflies? They’re so quick.
Smashing Horseflies
In the Bible Paul had some conflicts that bordered more on snakes than flies, “ ..in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger (2 Cor. 6:4, 5, NIV).
He wrote from prison to tell the Philippians how to handle life,
“Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean revel in him! Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you’re on their side, working with them, and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute!“Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns.
“Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.
“Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies” ( Philippians 4:4-9, The Message).
Know what? That’s some powerful “bug spray” if you consistently use it. Praising instead of swatting. Filling my mind with the positive and not the negative. I’m going to have to try that.
Written by David Porter
Rattlesnake picture: Photo by Karl Ibri on Unsplash
Horsefly picture: Photo by oktavianus mulyadi on Unsplash
Mosquito picture: Photo by Егор Камелев on Unsplash
Man picture: Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash
Flyswatter picture: Photo by Eric Muhr on Unsplash
Leave a Reply