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?

  This is why I speak to them in parables:

  “Though seeing, they do not see;

   though hearing, they do not hear or understand.  Matthew 13:13

I thought that I noticed most things that go on around me…that is until today when I took my grandson with me to do errands.   I came to realize that all too often I can be rather oblivious to the many happenings going on all around me.  I don’t want Jesus to feel about me as the above scripture describes.  I want to be alert to people and situations around me and see them through Jesus’ eyes.

Since my daughter had a Bible study with her neighbor I offered to take her son, Micah (who turned two in February), for several hours.  This week is quite busy for me, so I used this time to go to the post office, gas station and grocery store.  I was taken aback at all that Micah saw while we traveled from his house to the post office, to the gas station and then to the grocery store.  It seemed he noticed everything.  Usually, I just get in the car and go in sort of an autopilot mode.  I can stare into oblivion while I pump gas and move through the market as quickly as possible while trying to remember the things I need to purchase.

When I pulled into the store I quickly transcribed all that I remembered from Micah’s commentary from the previous ten minutes that it took to cover the three miles of our route.  I didn’t want to forget this stream of conversation.

Micah’s reporting began as we pulled out of his driveway ….

There’s my park Nana.  I like to play at the park.  I like to slide.

There are lots of cars on the road.  Vroom, vroom.

I’m on my side in the back seat.  You are on your side, Nana.

There’s a (bull)dozer there.

What’s that noise?

There’s a mailman.  Are we going to the mailman’s house?

Are you going down a hill now?

Who’s in that mommy’s car? (as he notices a car like his mommy drives a few cars ahead of us)

Prob’ly a lady in there.

Are we going by the fire trucks? (as we near the road that leads to the fire station)

What are those guys doing?   (I didn’t see the  guys he comments on so I ask him what guys he is talking about…. to which he responds and answers his own question)….Those guys workin’ in the dump truck.

(As we approach the post office)….I’m excited to get out.  Does the mailman live here?

What are you doing?  What are you doing?  What are you doing now?  What are you doing? (in the post office he engages with the other patrons)

(As we get back in the car and turn the corner where there is a train station)…..There’s the train station.  I won’t be scared when the train comes.  I’ll wait to ride with my dad.  I’m going to wait for the train and go to the city of Boston.

There’s an ambulance.  There’s a digger.  I want to go see the digger. Let’s go see the digger.

Happy Mother’s Day Nana.  (big smile)

(As we go into the grocery we go to the seafood counter so I can buy fish; meanwhile Micah is talking to all the women who are also at the counter. He looks at the fish)….

Nana, are you getting Nemo?…

I realized that I would have likely missed 90% or more of the things, people and sounds that he saw and heard while I was simply focused on getting my errands done.  While listening to Micah’s running commentary and questions, I became much more aware of the people  I could meet, the lessons I could learn and all that was going on around me.  I suddenly began viewing my surroundings through the fresh, eager eyes of a two year old who was eager to take in all that surrounded him.  He was keenly aware of the people and places we encountered.

I went to my Bible tonight to seek to learn from the ways Jesus noticed people and situations and how he responded to them.  He truly saw the people behind the situations.   I noted from the following scriptures ways Jesus noticed their plights, distress, faith and lack of faith.  He responded with what they needed.

When Jesus came into Peter’s house, he saw Peter’s mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever.   Mt 8:14

    Some men brought to him a paralytic, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.”  Matthew 9:2

    When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.   Matthew 9:36

When they came to the home of the synagogue ruler, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. [39] He went in and said to them, “Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep.” [40] But they laughed at him.

    After he put them all out, he took the child’s father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was. [41] He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum!” (which means, “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”).    Mark 5:38-41

    When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.    Mark 10:14

    Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”   Mk 10:21

  When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”    Luke 5:20

  Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!    Lk 18:24

    He saw through their duplicity and said to them, [24] “Show me a denarius. Whose portrait and inscription are on it?” … Luke 20:23-24

   As he looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. [2] He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. [3] “I tell you the truth,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. [4] All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”    Luke 21:1-4

    When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?”    John 5:6

When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled.   John 11:33

Thanks Micah, for calling me higher today by helping me notice things through your fresh and eager eyes.  May I seek to respond to what I see in the loving and courageous ways that Jesus did.  May I look, and really see!

For my birthday last year my family gave me some money. I had requested this monetary help to go towards an Ipad, or similar electronic tablet.  I researched numerous options and scurried to the mall to purchase my present from the family.  I looked and looked , and debated with myself about all the options available.

Three hours later I returned home with five birdfeeders.  You see, I reasoned that I may not in fact like the electronic tablet.  I use my laptop consistently and already know it quite well.  I can carry it on trips and even take it to the front porch where I can enjoy the flowers and all the birds… if I only had birdfeeders with which to attract the birds.  (Logical transition, right?) This is why I veered from the Apple store to the hardware store.

Thrilled with my purchases of: a new super-duper birdfeeder for the back deck; a yellow feeder designed for yellow finches; a simple birdhouse for viewing birds outside the kitchen window and a couple of hummingbird feeders – I hung them all and waited for the birds.  They came, and I’ve enjoyed them more than a tablet (which I got for Christmas).

This morning I was reminded of this unexpected purchase as I watched this spring’s first yellow finches arrive at the feeder on my front porch.  This was a new birdfeeder.  I had to switch to this feeder from the previous one, as its predecessor was defective.  The openings on the defective feeder were not set up correctly, and birdseed spilled out of them as fast as I could pour it in.  I tried several times, thinking perhaps I was pouring it wrong – but alas, it just kept falling out onto the porch, yard and every inch of the surrounding area.  The spilled birdseed left a pile of mess.

Our lives can at times be like this birdfeeder.  Due to losses, rejection, unresolved issues from our pasts or simply a failure to seek God first… we can have “holes” in our inner selves that keep us from being “filled up”.  We can try to fill this void with all kinds of accomplishments, relationships, things or just plain sin.  Nothing seem to keep us filled… so we try again and again to fill ourselves up, only to be left with a mess.

John 4:7-14

    When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” [8] (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)

    [9] The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)

    [10] Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”

    [11] “Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? [12] Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his flocks and herds?”

    [13] Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, [14] but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

This is an amazing claim and promise from Jesus, that I have found true in my life again and again.  It is a relationship with Jesus that makes my deep down soul complete. Everything else with which I try to fill my life just falls out of the holes…and leaves a mess.  I love this water of life.