More than Deet

I’ve had one or two people comment on the “number of mosquitoes” in our immediate vicinity, such as my back yard.  Well, my patio is circumscribed by English Ivy, and the border to my next door neighbor to the south is a combo of flowering myrtle and forsythia amid an old sycamore.  Then I have a variety of flora embedded directly to my north which is shaded by one of two colorful maples.  In other words, I love trees and flowers.

So do the mosquitoes. 

And yet, here I sit in the pre-dawn morning with the scent of deet and citronella candles, loving the sound of the crickets and tree frogs.  No birds; like my household, they are still blissfully asleep missing some of the best time of the day.

Being out here is so completely worth the inconvenience of bug spray, candles, and even a few (very few) bug bites.  It’s worth putting on extra layers and heating up little microwaveable “corn pads” to stuff in my pocket to keep warm as the end of year weather approaches.  A little planning ahead is sometimes needed, granted.  And I’ve learned a few outdoor “hacks”, some from research, some from trial and error.

On the balance of the scale, it’s still worth it all.

Relationships can be viewed in a similar way.  Being with other people, recognizing that I am one of those “other people”! can be inconvenient, messy, sometimes downright difficult.  (Of course, I’m not referring to what has rightly come to be known as toxic relationships—those unresolvable and pernicious interactions attacking soul and spirit, and sometimes even the body.) 

Even in loving and positive relationships, we will at times be inconvenienced, or insecure, or uncomfortable.  It’s just part—an important part, when properly considered—of assessing the value of the relationship.  Anything of value is worth its price, and part of that price will generally have to do with sacrifice at some level.

“Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant on the lookout for choice pearls.  When he discovered a pearl of great value, he sold everything he owned and bought it!”

That’s Jesus, Himself, speaking.  Interestingly, the merchant in the story was “on the lookout for choice pearls”.  The man had a well-honed skill and a singular purpose—find quality.  However, when he had located the best he was prepared to allow the inconvenience and the expense of securing it.

“…keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.”

I am thankful Jesus considered me well worth the “inconvenience” of leaving Heaven for the cross. 

Matthew 13:45-46; Hebrews 12:2 Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.