I thought about posting a video from Youtube about these flies that lay their eggs on laundry. The videos show what happens when the larvae burrow into your skin... honestly, I wasn't able to finish watching any of them. Just the little bit I saw haunts me. The interesting thing is, millions of people live around the tumbu fly everyday of their life and it's no big deal. I understand that all you need to do is iron your clothes to kill these eggs yet I still obsess. Maybe it's because I've heard the electricity where we are going is unreliable, sometimes off for days or even weeks at a time. Iron's require electricity. We had the opportunity to hang out with Josh and Audra Cadd yesterday. They are missionaries with Wycliffe Associates on furlough from Kenya, Africa. As I was talking to Josh and Audra I told them my fear of this larvae getting under my skin. Josh calmly said, "You just squeeze it out." Just like a zit, the worm is out and life goes on. (Anyone else besides me squirming?) He really had a point, that is just a little thing and you need to deal with it and move on.
Drew and I celebrated our 18th anniversary yesterday. Honestly, over the years there have been things Drew has done that have "gotten under my skin". To be fair, there have been things that I have done to "get under his skin". If I obsessed,or when I have obsessed over these little things, it has put a strain in our relationship. It's when we "squeeze it out" that we are able to move on to the more important things in life. I think this is true in any relationship. When we dwell on little things pretty soon it destroys the unity and becomes a festering wound in our relationship. One of the ways we have kept our marriage strong is by being quick to forgive. We know that we are not each others enemies and so we believe the best in each other. When I notice that I am obsessing about all the things that are "bugging" me about Drew, I instead shift my thoughts to all the things I am thankful for... and the list is long!
Colossians 3: 12-14
"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity."
As we look forward to our time in Africa, I know we will make some amazing relationships with the people we meet. I'm not going to let a pesky little fly get in the way.
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