When God called us to Honduras nearly 9 years ago, one of the issues I raised with Him was about insects. I know that sounds really unspiritual and very trivial, but I was concerned about bugs. You know, those tiny little things which give you the willies when you find them in your bed, your food, or your hair?! Bugs. I reasoned that if bugs were a certain size in Illinois, which is not tropical or rainforest-like, then what size might they be in a place with lots of rain, foliage, and humidity?

Well, God assured me that since He is big and powerful enough to save me from my sins, He can surely save me from creepy crawlies! (smile) So, we came and yes, there have been plenty of encounters with bugs over the years.

Each May, with the arrival of the first rains of rainy season, the flying termites come. They swarm, in giant masses, literally thousands upon thousands. They enter the cars, houses, stores, everywhere. For some reason, the past two years they have liked AJ’s room a lot! He has spent hours trying to kill them, duct tape them, and eventually sweep up their black wings which they shed upon landing.

About a month before the termites came, we had a plague of giant black beetles. Now, I am talking giant…they are about the size of a man’s big toe or larger, shiny and black, with a hard shell. They sound kind of crunchy when you walk on them. Oddly enough, these “beetles on steroids” have a consistent habit of falling over onto their backs, sticking their spiny, gross legs up in the air, and usually they never can get back up again…weird.

We have screening on all of our windows. Double screening in fact; a layer of thick, heavy screen followed by a lighter more fine screening over top. So it is not easy to wiggle underneath those layers of screen to enter the house. A window is situated over our kitchen sink. This window has been the focus of a “God moment” for me the past few days.

For reasons beyond my understanding, nine beetles decided to make a suicidal attempt to squish between the two layers of screening. (Remember, not an easy task by any means) They are now dead, obviously, decomposing into crunchy dark spots on my window. I can’t peer through the opening without observing their demise. I wonder where they thought their struggle would lead them. Hummmm…so I got to thinking…I am anything like these critters?

As I did dishes this morning I sensed God was giving me an object lesson with these nine dead bugs. Bizarre, but they made me think of all the times in my own life when I have struggled to squeeze into places for which I was neither made nor called. Places of sin, which as a Princess Warrior of the Mighty King I have no business being. Places of title or prestige, and pride which only beckon me to spiritual death. Or places where man has tried to label me as “this” or “that” but from which my Redeemer has already redeemed me. Just like those beetles, I find I have strained so hard to enter (and be trapped) in an area which holds only decay and rot, nothing of life or joy.

As much as those bugs reminded me of where I do not wish to return, they also reminded me of the glorious truth of my freedom in Christ! Only in Jesus Christ is there life, joy, peace, forgiveness, restoration, intimacy, and hope. In Christ, I do not have to try to force my way into any place or any position or any relationship. I can simply be. Be obedient to my Father. Be at peace to enjoy my position as a forgiven daughter of the King. Be transparent with people. Be who Christ has made me to be without worrying about being someone else.

What about you? Like my poor little beetles and me, have you ever wiggled yourself between two “screens” of sin or pretense or lies, only to become trapped to what seems like certain spiritual death? Take heart! Cry out to the Lord and gain your freedom! Zephaniah 3:17 tells us joyfully, “The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you,” and Micah 7:18 assures us that God is not coming for us with a giant God-sized can of bug spray to do us in. Rather, God “delights to show mercy.”

Well, I know this has been a rather “creepy” note. But, it is amazing the things God will use to teach us a deep truth about Him and His love for us…even black, crunchy beetles!

I pray God blesses you richly today! Love ya! Because Eternity Matters,
Valerie