Stupid Blind Beetle

I was sitting on the side porch of this adorable cottage in the breathtaking hills of North Carolina about 9 months ago, trying to “be still” and listen to God. My life is super busy, and I will admit… sometimes it takes going to the mountains before I can actually “be still” in the presence of God! I forget with my busy schedule to make the time to actually be still and wait on the Lord’s guidance. I knew there were some unrepentant sins lingering in my heart… so I wrote them down in my notebook and began to pray for God to forgive me of those sins. I began to ask God to speak to me when this big black beetle came crashing onto the porch with a loud thud! It startled me, so I sat up and looked around the porch swing I had been lounging on, and saw the beetle buzzing around on the porch. Then it took off again and flew right into the siding of the cottage! He fell down for a couple seconds and then took off and flew into the same siding, again! He came crashing down for the third time, and this time he sat still for a few minutes. By this point I was chuckling to myself at that stupid blind beetle! After a couple minutes, he took off and flew out into the yard where there was a large maple tree. Not a minute had passed after the beetle flew out into the hills of the North Carolina mountainside, when it started to rain.  I sat there in silence as I giggled again to myself before I settled into my “deep thinking,” then God began to show me that I was that stupid blind beetle!

God began to reveal to me how I am just like that beetle! When Jon and I got married… I pretty much crashed into being a pastor’s wife. I wasn’t really prepared for it, it just happened. God had a master plan that I didn’t understand quite yet. I never thought I would be a pastor’s wife. In fact, no one who ever knew me before would have said “she would be a great pastor’s wife!” I was just getting to know God again, after a long time away from His presence. Then, right after we got married we hit a wall in ministry when the church my husband had been ministering at for years decided to fire the senior minister which led to a split in the church. Jon became the interim pastor in hopes of being the next senior minister… but that did not happen. We were crushed. Our hearts were broken for the church, for the ministry and for our future. We had run into a wall and crashed to the ground just like that beetle. Eventually, with God’s guidance we left for another ministry, and not even a year into that ministry, we crashed into another wall. Falling to the ground and feeling helpless, heartbroken, frustrated, hurt, and confused… there we sat. But, God showed me we needed to wait, and be still, just like that beetle did before he found his way. We should not make any rash decisions based on that second wall we hit, there is a lesson there, and God will reveal that in time. God has a plan for our lives, he has a future in store for us that we cannot even imagine. After the stupid blind beetle sat and waited a few minutes… he took off into the open spaces. God showed me to sit still so that he can show us where he wants us in ministry. But, I felt like God was telling me more than just that.

The wall that beetle hit was a man-made structure in the middle of God’s creation. Guess what! All of the walls that we hit are man-made structures! We allow and even help Satan to build walls and structures within God’s creation. I am constantly hitting walls that God never created nor intended for me to hit! Sin was not God’s plan for humanity. Drugs, lust, unhealthy eating, hate, decay, bitterness, resentment, jealousy, those were never intended for us. Yet they are all around us, tempting us daily. And yes, sometimes we crash right into them blindly. Sometimes, it takes a few hard hits before we sit and wait on the Lord to show us which path He wants us to take.

As I sat taking it all in, I remembered the rain that had come down after the beetle had found its way back into God’s naturally good environment. God began to reveal to me that even when we are in His will, on the path we so patiently waited for God to guide us to… there will still be rain. There will still be obstacles in our way. But just as the rain can be devastating (mostly to my hair!), it also is the source of growth and nourishment. It is necessary for growth. Usually, it is hard to remember that when we are in the midst of a difficult time. We must remember that sin will not leave this earth until Christ returns, so we better be prepared for the rain. That beetle has an armor on… a protective casing called an exoskeleton. There is a particular part of the exoskeleton that covers the wings called an elytron which means sheath or cover. This is a casing that protects the wings from being damaged. (probably when they crash into walls or porches lol) Anyways, in order to withstand the many obstacles, walls, sin, temptations, that are out there, we need a cover. (like an umbrella to protect my hair from the rain!) I like to think of the beetle’s wings as my spirit… the person God created me to be, and I want to protect that spirit from deflation, sin, and separation from God. Because, I want to be able to fly, excel, and make a difference in God’s kingdom right now.  A very sweet lady that was there at the cottage that weekend actually made it a point to tell us to put on the whole armor of God every morning. This protects us and allows us to fight against the enemy. I have to protect myself from the enemy, and if I am not covered in the Lord’s armor, I am exposed and weak to the enemy’s attacks. I need to stand firm, especially while I am waiting on the Lord’s direction. The less distracted I am by the enemy, the more clearly I will hear the Lord’s call on my life, and the more confident I will be when I walk along that path!

I doubt I am the only one who can relate to that stupid blind beetle! I am sure you have hit walls, you may even be crashing into one today and about to hit the floor in pain, regret, humility, frustration, anger, or disappointment… I am here today to tell you to be still. Wait on the Lord to direct your path. Isaiah 40:31 says, “But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” Do not make the mistake of thinking you know what is better for you than God does. We forget to stop and ask the Lord for guidance sometimes in the most pivotal circumstances of our lives, instead we go into fix it mode without consulting the ultimate fixer! While we are waiting, we need to be in the Word, in prayer, and cover ourselves in the armor of God. Because when He sends us out into the world, there will be rain. So let’s be ready! To encourage us through those times, Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”

So, do not lose heart my friend, there is hope in the unseen, in the promise of eternal life in and through Christ’s death and resurrection, in His return all things will be renewed. And I cannot wait to find out what God’s ultimate plan is for us, because I know he has more in store for us than this!

Be still, wait on the Lord’s direction and wisdom through his Word and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and he will make your paths straight. And then we can fly with confidence that even if we hit another wall, or get splattered with a bit of rain… we can stand firm in the truth that we are daughters of the one true king!

Thank you so much for taking the time to read my blog today! I am so excited that you are here! I love to give and bless others, so today I am offering an opportunity for you to win a necklace with my artwork that goes along with this blog. My prayer is that this will be a reminder to “be still,” to keep praying on the armor of God, and the forget me not, I pray will remind you that even on your busiest days to be still and take time for the Lord, for His Word, and His guidance. See the guidelines below to enter to win.

1. Comment below about this blog, how you can relate or how it spoke to you.
2. Share this link on your Facebook page tagging a friend who is on your heart today.
3. Like my The Lesser Me Facebook page (you can find this link on the side bar to your right)

Thanks again for stopping by! I will be announcing the winner of the necklace next Tuesday, May 8^th, at 8pm on my Facebook page! I hope you win! If you would like to purchase this necklace please message me on Facebook to order, until I have my shop up and running, thanks!

Have a blessed day!