Devotional Thought - Flies
Needing to get away from the daily grind, I traveled to an escarpment in Northern Ghana, West Africa for a time of silence and prayer.
I needed this time so I could be refreshed mentally and spiritually.
As I walked among the vast stillness of sparse trees and brush at the base of the cliffs, I swatted at the mass of flies that had quickly discovered my sweatsoaked body.
As I proceeded toward the cliffs, the flies remained congregated about me despite my flailing arms.
A simple but surprising question interrupted my thoughts while I was praying: What are the 'flies' in your life? I laughed - out loud! "What are the 'flies' in my life? What kind of question is that?" What are the 'flies' in your life? "Okay, okay, I'll play this game.
Computer breakdowns and electrical outages are definite 'flies.
'" What else? I thought through the distractions I face every day - difficulties in relationships, busyness of life, even some of the ways I spend my free time.
"Well, I guess actually anything that distracts my focus from spiritual things.
" Okay, how do you keep the flies away? This time my laugh belied my ignorance.
So far the gyrations of my arms had not driven away the real flies.
How was I to know how to keep away the 'flies' that distracted me spiritually? I left the protected area of trees and shrubs and began climbing the cliffs of the escarpment.
As I reached the height of the trees my battle with the flies ceased.
Then I realized that a steady breeze blew over the tops of the trees.
"I see.
The breeze drives the flies away.
" What does the breeze represent? Again I laughed.
This one was easy.
"The breeze is the Holy Spirit...
so if I stand in the breeze of the Holy Spirit, the attacks will not bother me so much?" There was no answer.
By this time I had climbed to one of the highest cliffs.
The wind rushed through my hair.
The view was breathtaking.
I continued to pray.
About an hour later another question came, Where is the breeze?"On the top of the cliffs -- on the edge...
if I live life on the edge, I'm in the breeze!" There's more.
Keep going.
"Okay, what is the edge? What is it about the edge? What does the edge represent?" Those are the right questions.
"The edge is kind of scary, especially if I get real close.
It takes work to get here.
I have to trust God more on the edge than near the trees where there is no danger.
TRUST! That's it! The breeze comes when I am in a position where I have to trust God more than myself or my surroundings.
" Stay in the breeze.
A while later I walked again through the trees and shrubs.
The flies returned.
"The key to staying in the breeze is recognizing when I have left the cliffs and returned to the flies.
" Stay in the breeze.
I needed this time so I could be refreshed mentally and spiritually.
As I walked among the vast stillness of sparse trees and brush at the base of the cliffs, I swatted at the mass of flies that had quickly discovered my sweatsoaked body.
As I proceeded toward the cliffs, the flies remained congregated about me despite my flailing arms.
A simple but surprising question interrupted my thoughts while I was praying: What are the 'flies' in your life? I laughed - out loud! "What are the 'flies' in my life? What kind of question is that?" What are the 'flies' in your life? "Okay, okay, I'll play this game.
Computer breakdowns and electrical outages are definite 'flies.
'" What else? I thought through the distractions I face every day - difficulties in relationships, busyness of life, even some of the ways I spend my free time.
"Well, I guess actually anything that distracts my focus from spiritual things.
" Okay, how do you keep the flies away? This time my laugh belied my ignorance.
So far the gyrations of my arms had not driven away the real flies.
How was I to know how to keep away the 'flies' that distracted me spiritually? I left the protected area of trees and shrubs and began climbing the cliffs of the escarpment.
As I reached the height of the trees my battle with the flies ceased.
Then I realized that a steady breeze blew over the tops of the trees.
"I see.
The breeze drives the flies away.
" What does the breeze represent? Again I laughed.
This one was easy.
"The breeze is the Holy Spirit...
so if I stand in the breeze of the Holy Spirit, the attacks will not bother me so much?" There was no answer.
By this time I had climbed to one of the highest cliffs.
The wind rushed through my hair.
The view was breathtaking.
I continued to pray.
About an hour later another question came, Where is the breeze?"On the top of the cliffs -- on the edge...
if I live life on the edge, I'm in the breeze!" There's more.
Keep going.
"Okay, what is the edge? What is it about the edge? What does the edge represent?" Those are the right questions.
"The edge is kind of scary, especially if I get real close.
It takes work to get here.
I have to trust God more on the edge than near the trees where there is no danger.
TRUST! That's it! The breeze comes when I am in a position where I have to trust God more than myself or my surroundings.
" Stay in the breeze.
A while later I walked again through the trees and shrubs.
The flies returned.
"The key to staying in the breeze is recognizing when I have left the cliffs and returned to the flies.
" Stay in the breeze.
