Mosquito

Mosquito...it truly is amazing to me how annoying a tiny little creature as this can be; especially if it is in the middle of the night hovering in your ear.  I suspect that most of you have come to experience this at one time or another and if you haven’t then good for you, you are good at keeping your doors closed or your tent zipped up. I probably hit myself in the face a couple of times trying to swat in retaliation and finally I won, but only after several very aggressive attempts to clobber it.   I would swat and think I had succeeded only to have that tiny beast up and ready to wage battle a few minutes later. The assault was timed perfectly, just when I had settled back into my pillow and was perfectly still, that buzzing would begin again. 

In reflection, this made me think about the little things that I so  often do let bug me. Something that someone said, an action that probably was not intentional, a conflict of interests, a regret, etc.  There are some people who are really good at just letting the little things slide while others of us, hang on to them and swat them around hoping that soon will be be victorious in our battle to overcome the little nuisances that buzz around in our ear.    

I get it that big battles call for big faith, but I am reluctant or maybe just not conscious about giving God the reigns to help me 

sidestep the little things that really have no positive bearing on anything. Remember that saying don’t sweat the small things, and then the tag line that followed, it is all small stuff.  Richard Carlson wrote a book titled just that and one of the quotes form the boor reads like this:

“Something wonderful begins to happen with the simple realization that life, like an automobile, is driven from the inside out, not the other way around. As you focus more on becoming more peaceful with where you are, rather than focusing on where you would rather be, you begin to find peace right now, in the present. Then, as you move around, try new things, and meet new people, you carry that sense of inner peace with you. It's absolutely true that, "Wherever you go, there you are.” 

― Richard Carlson, Don't Sweat the Small Stuff ... and it's all small stuff: Simple Ways to Keep the Little Things from Taking Over Your Life

I like the inside out analogy.  For what is within us is what comes out of us.  If we allow the little things to suck up our attention, and take a front place seat in our thoughts, our attitudes and our focus, we lose sight of a bigger picture and vision of life and purpose that is generated by God alone. I think of that mosquito, flying around wreaking havoc.  I can either try to ignore its presence, which is hard to do when the buzzing sound consumes the quietness of the darkened room, or nail him with a head on hit, and rest in peace the remaining hours.  It was a hit or miss attempt at every swat for sure, but 

the aggravate had to go.  God, in his glory is not a hit or miss warrior.  He, in his oversight and wisdom defines his target and is victorious in his assault against that which causes havoc in our lives....if only we depend on his ways.   Those things that we deem as small stuff as well as the big stuff, he not only is able to handle but will handle through His grace and power.    

When we let God be the force that runs our life from the inside out, meaning that circumstances do not have authority over an inner Spirit that resides within us, that is when we are able to let the small stuff go, and stand on the truth that life is not about us, it is about God and his purposes through us.  The small stuff is stuff we have conjured up and made big.  We have left the door open and allowed the bugs to gain access to our hearts and the buzzing has overshadowed our peace and contentment. 

When I made that last attempt to slap down that menacing buzz, I waited and hoped and finally knew that enough time had past and that I had won; I was finally at peace at least for the night. We win whenever we depend on God and have confidence that He will inject within us a renewed spirit of victory.  A new day would soon be dawning, and the small stuff would once again be flying around, but this day I will guard my doors and be at peace with the Spirit that abides within me, and remember hopefully to life inside out! 

1 Corinthians 2:10-12

The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. ¹¹ For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. ¹² What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. 

Dear Lord, Thank you for caring about the small stuff and helping me to overcome it day by day. May the peace and contentment of your Spirit that lives within me be the focus of my day, and may that same spirit be one that shows on my outside as well.  Amen