The Silly Fly

The evening was coming on slowly. It is July and the day has been hot. The side deck that I am sitting on has white metal table. My chair is pulled up to the table… and I am doing nothing.

There in front of me is a small creature about 1/3 the size of the ordinary house fly. Its wings are rounded and almost the size of its body. It is standing absolutely still…then suddenly it walks rapidly forward – then stops for a long time. I moved my hand forward and as I did my knuckle hit the metal table top making it vibrate – at which time the ting fly jumped straight up – like a grass hopper – then landed about 20 lengths of its body away.

I tapped the table top again and it did the same thing. Tap – hop, tap – hop. Then tap – hop and spin around on its head rapidly fanning its small wings. It apparently had problems with its landing apparatus or its stabilizers in the air – because on that last take off and landing it landed on its back – buzzing its wings wildly.

I sat entertaining myself for more than 10 minutes this way. The Silly Fly had some real problems – after three hops it would land on its back and buzz like crazy to right itself – then walk (not fly) about 20 lengths of its body. It did this until it came to close to the table edge and fell on to the deck and down a crack on the deck’s planking.

What a Silly creature. Either me or the fly that is… both are silly creature to say the least.

I have slowed down so much that watching a fly is entertaining. Or to say it another way I have returned to the day as a boy when I watched the amazing buzzing flies on my grandparent’s farm at Truax, Saskatchewan. It was a time that there were no schedules and no problems other than what you might decide to do next in a Farm World that was simply a Universe of its own.

The Silly Creature has a purpose… designed my God… to entertain someone like me… to simply do his strange dance (likely a mating dance of some sort with no partner to dance with)… or whatever. But he has a purpose.

The photos I retrieved from the internet demonstrate the finite creation – all of these(see here and below) look like my friend of the evening. And as my friend stood really still for long periods of time – I could see the fine hairs on his body and the finely sculptured wings.
As I sat thinking last evening I stretched in my chair and looked up. There above me were the last vestiges of sunlight colouring the wisp of clouds in the blue sky above. And far above the clouds was a small aircraft moving quickly to the east – likely a commercial jet. It appeared to be less that half the size of the little fly that had been on the table top – just a dot.

There was likely more than 100 people going very fast somewhere on that aircraft. All of them in a hurry and all of them with great self importance tucked in their little brief cases so far above me. If they looked down at my exact spot they would never have seen me and my Silly Fly Friend. They were in a hurry to get somewhere… and I am not.

That is how I must look to God. Either way he looks up – or down – I am doing something – either absolutely important in my mind… or so Silly that it makes even God laugh. Both must make God laugh - my importance and my Fly Like Silly Dance – which may be the same in his eyes.

Just before you condemn me for do nothing – I was sitting down after 15 hours of doing stuff all day.

One of my favorite sayings with great meaning is, “Be still and know that I am God…” That was my life on the side deck… just getting a little perspective.

The whole context of these favorite words of mine are found in
Psalm 46:9-11 (New International Version)
9 He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear, he burns the shields with fire.
10 "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."
11 The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Did you see the verse 9 – He makes the war to cease… breaks bows… burns shields… That says to me – all of that running… worrying… and complicated living is stopped… then you can know God.

The Silly Fly was a new bench mark for me. I have arrived to a new high – which in reality is a new slow. I can see, I can hear and I can know again. WOW!

How about you? Just before you pick up something to smack that little bug – would you take a moment to smile at what God is saying to you at that moment… then as you nuke/duke him… remember your own size, self importance and silliness.

Have a good one today.

~ Murray Lincoln ~

Resource:
Many Different Kinds of Flies