Burnt Bacon

The bacon was spluttering in the grill as Francey scrolled lazily through his library of pictures of moths, taken earlier in the morning.

Moths. ‘We don’t like moths,’ I stated flatly, thinking of the carpet moths which have denuded a corner of the living room carpet.

Then he zoomed in. ‘This one was on your front door.’

It was breathtakingly beautiful. Lacy. Delicate. Lovely shade of translucent green. (I’m sorry I didn’t get him to email me the picture. Maybe I can capture one myself... a picture, that is!)

The guests, from Dublin, said they’d never seen as many moths as they’ve seen while staying here with us. One was camouflaged well on the stone dyke. Another lay immobile on a leaf. One had the shape of a stealth bomber. The variety was incredible.

How is it that we have been so blind to the beauty all around us, dismissing moths as those voracious white insects laying their larvae in our wools? 

‘I do like butterflies,’ I said lamely. And then was told that the French for butterflies is papillon, while their word for moths is papillon de nuit. Suddenly they sound lovely.

I can see I will become a mothophile. Didn’t God make us a beautiful world in which to live?

(Yes, the bacon would have burnt had Don not been out there to turn it.)

Resistance makes you Stronger

Just back from the physio, who has given me another stretchy strip to use in restoring full use of this shoulder. I’ve to pull the ring tight and raise my hands over my head, as far as they will go. The resistance in the stretchy strip will strengthen the muscles as I stretch the tendons. Or something like that.

Basically, the thought is that the resistance will strengthen my body. 

There is so much in our world today which we need to resist. So many temptations to self-indulge, to do and view things we shouldn’t, to be self-centred and hard-hearted. It’s as we resist those temptations, in the name of Jesus and with the help of the Holy Spirit, that we become stronger in our faith, stronger in our ability to live out the good news of Jesus and bring light and life into places of darkness and death. And goodness knows those sorts of places are all around.

So today, I’m not going to moan about the things I need to resist. I’m going to ask help from God to change my attitude so that I welcome the tough things because as I resist, I will grow in faith and strength.

I often think of butterflies: if you try to help them break out of the cocoon they will not be able to fly. It’s only as they struggle to break the cocoon that they strengthen their wings to fly. It’s the same with raising kids: we can’t do everything for them or they will never be strong enough to do them on their own.

So, a wee lesson from the physio for me today. Resistance makes you stronger.