I felt something behind my knee and kept swiping at it.  I felt it again – and upon further exploration found a tick hanging out on my leg.  What in the world is going on with ticks and me?  I don’t have fur and I don’t live in the woods.  However, I do walk outdoors; I also have two dogs and I do live in the heart of tick country. So, I guess I will continue to be a prime candidate for tick bites.

As I grabbed the tick and prepared to (with a flush) send him swirling down the porcelain throne I boldly told him, “Go ahead and bite me – I’m covered!”   (by the way – I looked this up this phrase to make sure I wasn’t accidentally saying something  bad.  As far as I know it’s okay.)

The tick said nothing in return.  He had no answer.

You see, I am in my third month of treatment for Lyme disease.  I take three antibiotics a day.   While I hope the end of the treatment is in sight, right now I’m still being treated so I feel confidently immune to this tick’s attack.  I don’t know if this feeling is medically sound, but I know I’m pretty much “antibiotically covered.”  Lyme bacteria may try to infiltrate me…but it’s not sticking!

This little visit with the tick reminded me of the scripture in 1 John 1:6-7

If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. [7] But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

I’ve got God’s Spirit in me.  I’m purposely walking in the light…so even when I mess up while trying to follow Jesus I’m continually cleansed from sin.

That’s amazingly comforting.

This scripture was further reinforced in my mind as I went to run some errands in inclimate weather this week.  It was raining hard outside.  As I drove down the interstate the rain seemed to come down harder and harder.  I was grateful for good windshield wipers.  I turned them on faster, and they kept wiping away the rain so I could see clearly despite the weather.

The above scripture reminds me of the windshield wipers.  They keep wiping away the rain allowing me to see clearly.  The blood of Jesus that covered me when I was baptized…( and keeps covering me as I walk in the light) continually cleanses me. It’s sort of like the windshield wipers and the antibiotics I’m taking that keep the Lyme from infiltrating.  So go on tick…bite me.  I’m covered.  And go ahead rain…keep on falling.  My windshield wipers are going strong.

I was visiting my friend when her bird flew from its cage and perched atop my head.  It was a little weird to feel little bird feet in my hair, but I wasn’t overly concerned.  What could a little bird do? 

My friend soon came to the rescue and put her bird in her hand (which I’ve heard is worth two in the bush.) Before she arrived I told her I was okay with the situation, as long as the bird didn’t poop in my hair.  She stopped for a moment before retrieving the bird and in a quiet voice said, “Well,… looks like it’s too late for that.”

So that’s what a little bird can do.

“Uh-oh,”  I thought.  I let the bird stay a little too long in my hair. I should have reacted sooner.

It’s never a good idea to let a bird stay too long on your head, for obvious reasons.  It seems I hesitated a little too long in this situation.  As a result I ended up with poop on my head.

So it is with the way of temptation.  We can let it sit a little too long and end up with a situation much worse than this.

When we are tempted, the best plan is the one we hear from our brother Paul in 1 Timothy 6:11 and again in 2 Timothy 2:22.  Both times he tells us to “flee” or run away from temptation.

James tells us that when we let temptation conceive, burrow in our hearts and grow – it soon becomes sin.

James 1:13-15

When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; [14] but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. [15] Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

When our hearts are slow to forgive, this also gives time for sin to nest (or worse.)  Hebrews 12:15 states,

“See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.”

When we are slow to forgive we will end up with very unfortunate consequences, much worse than any bird can produce.  We can not only miss God’s grace, but lack of forgiveness always negatively affects many others.

While I didn’t love the poop that settled on my head; this little bird reminded me of the lesson to always be urgent in shooing temptation away.  A lackadaisical attitude or hesitant start can end up defiling us and many others.

Last week I sat in the beautiful Wang Theater, next to a young woman who was perhaps the number one advocate of the group that was performing.  On this night I heard the powerful and beautiful voices of a group, “Il Divo,” though when I bought the tickets I thought they were a different group.  Imagine my surprise when I checked my I-pod playlist and discovered the “tenors” I loved were in fact not “Il Divo.” The tickets were non-refundable- so of course I went to the performance.  (My wonderful husband took me even though the Celtics had a playoff game during this same time.)  I had no idea who this group was, but fortunately they were excellent.

As mentioned, I was seated next to a woman who certainly should have been president of the group’s fan club. This young woman had 5,000 picture of “Il Divo” on her phone and knew every detail of their lives.  She was seemingly entranced during every song.  Her spontaneous interactions to comments from the group members would have made one think she was part of their family.  She had studied them…and in her words – was “obsessed” with them.   I learned that she had sat in that same seat (front and center) at the concert the previous night.  Wow.  This was a devoted fan.

She also had in her possession four roses that she hoped to present to each man in the quartet.  At one point during the concert, a beautiful young woman sitting near the front put a rose on the stage next to the one “single” singer.  So, a little later in the show this young woman made her way toward the stage.  She was stopped by an usher and came back to her seat disheartened.  She whispered, “I guess I’m not pretty enough or “V.I.P” enough.  I felt sad for this young woman.  I realized that though “Il Divo” means “divine performer,” there is only one who is divine and won’t disappoint.

I thought about two other women who gave gifts.

Mark 14:3-9

While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.

[4] Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, “Why this waste of perfume? [5] It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages and the money given to the poor.” And they rebuked her harshly.

[6] “Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. [7] The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. [8] She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. [9] I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”

Mark 12:41-44

Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. [42] But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny.

[43] Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. [44] They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything–all she had to live on.”

I hope I see this woman again.  I want her to get to know the true divine one; who thinks she is not only beautiful and valuable  – but also “V.I.P.” enough to die for.  Jesus values us – and as shown in the scriptures above, notices our devotion and love for him.

Reminded of this I ask myself – am I giving him not just four roses – but my all?