Oh Fred!~ And a WINNER

 

It’s a fact, my house has been overrun by the annual box elder spring de-hibernation. It is not pretty. It’s getting to be a bit annoying and I’m a little tired of going on daily de-bugging raids.

They are everywhere.

On my windows, my plants, my curtains, my floors. I think it must have been a very productive season for these little buggers.

I’ve found them in my cups and we all have become adept at taking a quick peek into our drinks before we take a swig.

I’ve found them cozied up in my bed.

I found one down my shirt the other day…now that was uncomfortable.

For me it really isn’t that big of a deal. If I have to be invaded, I’d rather have box elder bugs in my house than ants, or cockroaches or mice. They really aren’t after my food…they’re just looking for a way out after crawling in for a warm place when the cold days came. However, someone forgot to send them the memo that the only way out was the same way they came in.

For my daughter, who is not a supporter of bugs, it is a different story.

Fred, as she calls all box elder bugs, freaks her out. Not just slightly, majorly! She is not a bug lovin’ gal.

If she spots one near her, which is often, she begins to panic slightly calling for someone, in a high pitched squeal, to come dispose of Fred.  If Fred decides to get friendly and takes up residence on her person….well, watch out!

Being a good mom, I try my darndest not to laugh. But it is so hard, and usually a little giggle and smirk escapes before I can stop it! Screams, flailing of arms, stomping of feet and contorted face ensue (her not me!) I have never seen anything like it!

Poor Fred little did he know he chose the wrong person to alight on! It ensures certain death. There is no escape.

Thankfully it is easy to dispose of Fred and abate her fears.

I can easily make a correlation between my daughters fear of bugs and my own life. Too often I let life’s circumstances create fear in my heart. I may not stomp, scream and stare in wide eyed horror, but I react in my own way. I withdraw, let anxiety overcome me and feel restrained by the bonds of my fear.

This winter the Lord has been teaching me about trust.  It seems a majority of what I read lately deals with trusting the Lord. Verses, music, and devotionals, have been full of the importance and necessity of trusting God.

The devotional Jesus Calling by Sarah Young has been instrumental in guiding me to trust more. Sarah writes, “Bring me all your feelings, even the ones you wish you didn’t have. Fear and anxiety still plague you… Blazing missiles of fear fly at you day and night; these attacks from the evil one come at you relentlessly. Use your shield of faith to extinguish these flaming arrows. Affirm your trust in Me, regardless of how you feel. If you persist, your feelings will eventually fall in line with your faith….Bring your anxieties out into the light of my Presence, where we can deal with them together.  Concentrate on trusting Me, and fearfulness will gradually lose its foothold within you.

Just like I reach out, pluck the frightening bug off my daughter, and squish it, so the Lord will pluck the fears out of my heart and dispose of them.  I only need to call out with faith on my lips and trust in my heart.

 

“Surely God is my Salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the

LORD, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.  Isaiah 12:2

 

Now for the winner of my Sycamore Lane Giveaway…..

I received more comments about my post on Joel than I ever have on a regular post, so I decided to bring him back due to his new found popularity.

The name pulled from the bowl by Mr. Hollywood is……

 

CONGRATULATIONS, MELISSA!