Swattin Flys

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: Ecclesiastes 3:1

One of my big projects this summer was to decorate my front porch.  It was the first project and the favorite project of the summer.  That porch is where I spent time almost every day of summer break.  I did a lot of praying, reading, writing and planning on that porch.  At times it felt like an outdoor living room or office.  I remember the first morning I sipped coffee and said morning prayers out there; I let out a sigh that morning thinking the new school year seemed so far away.  This morning, one of the last few mornings I have left for morning coffee and prayers on my porch, I realized how fast the days had ticked by.   I started to feel a little pouty about the end of slow peaceful mornings when all of the sudden the flys started to pester me.  The little ones were nipping at my legs and ankles and the big ones were landing on my book and dive bombing my head.  They irritated the snot out of me and I was a little steamed that they would barge in and ruin one of my last porch mornings.  

After a few minutes of being annoyed by these pesky little creatures I rushed into the house and in a moment of brilliance, I came back out with a fly swatter.  I was going to show them!  I smushed a few and sat in my chair feeling rather accomplished…I showed them who was boss!  I picked up my book and began reading again and read less than a paragraph before they came back with an army of their friends.  It was as if they flew off to find friends and invite them back to look at the nut swatting flys outside!  I did have to stop and laugh at myself.  Why on earth did I think that would actually work!

After surrendering to the winged party wreckers, I went inside and gave some thought to what had happened.  As I was pouting about the rude interruption to my peaceful porch dwelling I had failed to realize they hadn’t bothered me all summer long.  I had had weeks and weeks of perfect, so how dare I get all in a yank about one bad morning.  As I drove to school to prepare for next week, I realized those flys were sort of a message and subtle kick me off my porch to move on to the next thing kind of deal.  Swatting at them had been as senseless as expecting summer to last forever.  My peace and quiet came as a season but all season change.  The great parts of our live don’t last forever but neither do the bad ones.  They all come and go.  Thats how God gives us joy, rest and peace to prepare us for the trials and tricky stuff that draws us closer to him.  Trying to throw a hissy fit when those seasons change is as pointless as swatting flys outside.   As I puddled about my classroom getting excited about the new school year beginning on Monday, I stopped to thank him for a prayerful, wonderful, restful, peaceful summer on my pretty porch.  He and I had some great talks there this summer and I thanked him for that too.  After I finished with my thank you prayer, I went to my desk to type the class schedule and a giant fly landed on my computer screen and followed my cursor across the screen.  I laughed and realized once again, God has a great sense of humor!

A Seed To Plant: Give some thought to the highs and the lows he’s walked you through this year.  Thank him for both.​

Blessings on your day!