Humor

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The Lesson of the Fly
Margaret D. Woolington


It was an early Saturday morning. Everyone was sleeping after my husband’s birthday party the night before. I got my coffee and went out to the porch to enjoy the cool, damp spring air of a Seattle morning. Alone and quiet I anticipated supreme bliss, but it was not to be.

I was about to discover that our best-laid plans can be disturbed by just one of God’s little creatures. I met a challenger who did not know he was just a lowly, pesky fly. No, this fellow was determined to take the catbird seat on the edge of my mug. I don’t know if it was the aroma of the hot coffee or the painted daisies on my mug that fascinated him but a wave of my hand did nothing but make him more determined. He jumped all around the rim with a “catch me if you can“ attitude. Then he took a leap onto my nose when I tipped the cup to sip the special blend I usually save for special occasions like this morning. That was the last irritating straw. In vain I swatted, I scolded, I scowled and finally I went in and got the fly swatter. I came back out and waved it around the porch in a threatening manner. I covered my cup with my other hand so my pesky fly wouldn’t fall in when I smacked him. He then perched on my hand and I thought now I got you and I reached over and gave myself a good hard slap.

Well, the coffee leaped out of the cup, splattered itself all over me and my chair and the cup fell with a loud crash down the stairs and broke into splintered pieces of my favorite coffee mug, the one that said, “This is the day the Lord has made I will rejoice.” It was then I saw the fly on the railing of the porch busily licking my special blend coffee off his face. Aha...now that you are preoccupied, now comes my revenge, I said. I raised the swatter and was about to come down hard when a thought came into my mind with a force that demanded my immediate attention.

I was about to kill this little fly simply because he was an annoyance to me. I lowered the swatter and watched as he finished his bath and flew off. He didn’t have a clue he had been given a reprieve to go on living. I sat down on the stairs and thought about my encounter with the fly. I guess sometimes I’m an annoyance to you too, God. I know I was yesterday when I was trying to get everything ready for the party. I didn’t take time for my morning devotions, I sent my children to school in frenzy over lost socks. When my husband came home tired from work, I sent him back out to the store for more pasta. By party time it was a wonder any of us were smiling. Lord, are you trying to tell me that sometimes I can be pesky too? Oddly I ’m now glad I gave that bothersome fly another chance. Thank you for that gentle lesson.

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