How to Be a Poor Witness

My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, ²⁰ because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.

James 1:19-20 (NIV)

After lunch with friends in our quiet, quaint town, we heard shouting as we walked to our cars. We froze and stared at the source of the unexpected outrage.

            A few feet from us, a white truck and a black truck stopped traffic on the main thoroughfare. Both drivers stood beside their trucks with opened doors. 

            The man at the back cussed and threatened the person he thought offended him in some way. From his escalating tirade, he definitely thought he had been abused. With so many recent shootings, I was afraid he would pull out a gun. 

            Thankfully, the first driver remained calm and didn’t add to the disturbing situation. He got into his truck and left. 

            When the irate driver took off, I hoped he didn’t follow to continue his attack. Then I noticed a bumper sticker from a local Christian radio station. Did he put it on his truck or did someone else. In either case, his outburst produced a terrible Christian witness. 

            An instant burst of anger, a bit of gossip, laying on the horn at a slow driver, or a snide remark can ruin a witness to those who might already have a distorted view of Christians. If we wear a cross, attend church or carry a Bible, people assume we are Christians and may be happy to see us falter.   

            The incident reminded me that our actions don’t have to be as outrageous as the angry driver but can be just as damaging if we taint the world’s view of Christianity. 

Father, show us how to live like Jesus in our broken world. Help us be kind even when it is not easy. Amen. 

More Resistant Critters

Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble,
    and he brought them out of their distress. He stilled the storm to a whisper;
    the waves of the sea^[a] were hushed. They were glad when it grew calm,
    and he guided them to their desired haven. Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind.

Psalm 107:28-31 NIV

Every few hours, I searched my patio for the butterfly that escaped from the cage. I hoped she had flown through the open door to the outside. 

            Unfortunately, she remained at the top of screen almost to the ceiling. When I attempted to reach her, wings flapped like an out of control fan. 

            Other invaders entered through the wide open door and joined her at the end of my patio. A huge dragonfly buzzed as it tried to propel itself through the screen. A wasp whizzed near me. My trusty broom tried to move the group of insects toward the door. 

            The butterfly moved higher out of my reach. The dragonfly continued buzzing like a miniature saw. I dreaded the wasp who could cause me pain and swelling. All resisted help. 

            With a fly swatter in hand, I eliminated one. Repeatedly, I attempted to maneuver the remaining ones to the outside. Then a second dragonfly dive bombed me from out of nowhere.  He grabbed hold of the screen as I contemplated my dilemma.  

            Should the door remain open as a means of escape for the critters or should it be closed to prevent more unwelcome intruders? 

            As I pondered the situation, the butterfly descended within my reach. She folded her tiny wings so I could gently grasp them and hurried outside before I dropped her. She danced in the wind after the release. 

But once back in the patio, I heard more fluttering not far from the door.  Behind a chair, a second monarch frantically flopped from one spot to another away from me. This time my broom guided it to the nearby door and freedom. One dragonfly zoomed away but the second one continued to elude me. 

With only one insect remaining, I latched the door which prevented his escape. 

When the butterflies broke out of their safe place, they became disoriented and lost in the patio. Then intruders from the outside joined them and added to the confusion. They all gathered close together but with no leader, they floundered. Only one departed on his own but no one followed him. I have no idea what happened to the second dragonfly. 

At times, we might be lost, confused and trapped in difficult situations.  Instead of following a reliable leader and ignoring unsuitable companions who are also befuddled, we remain ensnared.   

Jesus is a rescuer who can still our storms or gently remove us from them.  He doesn’t force us but desires that we obediently follow Him.  

Father, help us to follow your instructions as we follow Jesus who rescues us. Amen

The Open Door

Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

John 10: 7-10 NIV

For months I kept up with three butterfly cages and eighty-three monarchs hatched successfully. The process is time consuming but rewarding when butterflies take off to flitter around the yard. 

            Recently, I cleaned the cages and had two chrysalises hanging from the top of one of them. A few days later, I noticed the flap on the habitat wasn’t zipped completely but wasn’t concerned until I saw empty chrysalises dangling from the top. No butterflies hung on the mesh. 

            My eyes roamed my enclosed patio. They stopped at the far end near the ceiling.  A monarch clutched the screen above my reach. I tried to entice the new butterfly to latch onto a broom. She did for a couple of inches and then moved up higher. With an alluring flower stuck into the broom, I tried again. No success. 

            Even though she was far from the screen door, I left it open and hoped she would escape to the outside world. If she got out of a tiny opening in the cage, surely, she could fly out of a big door.

            Every hour or so, I checked to see if she had left but she hadn’t. I tried the broom again but that didn’t help either. 

            Since spring, I cleaned cages, supplied milkweed, brought teeny eggs inside and released full grown monarchs. My efforts protected them from predators and ensured a safe environment. Then one time I forgot to zip the opening. 

            Within her larger cage, she was protected from wind, rain and most predators. But there were no blooms to feed her. She could see the world through the screen but couldn’t figure out how to get there. She refused all my attempts of rescue.

            Like my stubborn butterfly, we get stuck in difficult situations. We become entangled in poor choices, addictions, and worldly vices. 

            When God calls and tries to show us a way out, we sometimes run further away and refuse guidance. Enduring the familiar can trap us in unhealthy or dangerous situations. 

            God loves us and wants the best for His children. We need to go to Him. He leaves the door open so we can enter and have an abundant life.  

Loving Father, you love us and want what is best for us. But we must listen and move through Your door as you guide us. Amen.