Throughout my life, I’ve dealt with many “pesky” things that provoke the dickens out of me. I sure do miss those “dickens.”
Recently, a new “pesky” thing entered my life. I never knew flies could be so dominating in a person’s life. After all, they’re just little things with wings.
I was having lunch with The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage, wife Martha, and just as we were getting ready to eat, a fly buzzed around my nose.
I tried swatting him with both hands, but only hit my nose. Martha looked at me and said, “What are you doing?”
I responded, “Don’t you see these flies buzzing around me?”
It wasn’t long until that fly came at my nose again. I clapped my hand near my nose, and wouldn’t you know it, I got that fly.
Even when riding in her “Sissy Van” or my truck, I’m being attacked by these frustrating flies. When I sit down, I buckle my seatbelt and then look around very carefully to see if there are any flies, and I don’t see any.
Somehow, they have a way of hiding long enough, then attacking my nose.
Finally, Sunday came and we went to our church service. She plays the piano, I lead the singing, and then deliver a sermon.
As I began preaching, all of a sudden, there was a fly right in front of my face. I just swatted, hoping to chase it away. For a few seconds, I didn’t see it and thought it had just gone away.
Then it all began again. The fly landed on my nose, nearly going in it. I swatted it away and thought it was gone.
However, it came back and landed on my cheek, then on my ear, and I was getting very frustrated. I didn’t want anybody to know I was being distracted by this lousy fly.
I was preaching, and when I preach, I have to open my mouth. I never gave that a thought, but as I was talking, all of a sudden, guess where the fly went?
Now I have a dilemma here.
What do I do? How do I get rid of the fly?
Do you think I should spit it out in front of everyone? I didn’t know what to do.
I swallowed the fly, hoping nobody would see what happened.
Did you ever swallow a fly? It’s the most disgusting experience I’ve had in my whole life. I could feel that fly fluttering down my throat.
I didn’t want anyone to know what I’d done, so I coughed a little and took a sip from my water bottle.
Eating a fly during a church service is not something I had ever thought about. I tried to keep my composure, hoping no one had seen what happened.
On the way home, a verse of scripture came to my mind.
“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
— Philippians 4: 6-7
No matter the aggravation, “the peace of God” is bigger and brings me peace that the world cannot take away.
Dr. Snyder is a former pastor who lives with the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage, wife Martha, in Ocala, Fla. His email is [email protected].
