Bug Juice

I lift up my eyes to you, to you whose throne is in heaven. Psalm 123:1 (NIV)

The flies in the pasture have been unusually bad this year. Everyone in our community is complaining about flies so I know it is not my poor horse keeping that has caused it. When I go out to feed in the morning, I can’t stand how they light on me, get in my hair and buzz my ears. My horse is allergic to their bites which leave big welts. So, I declared war. I bought shavings and cedar flakes for the stalls and hung fly traps along the fence. The traps are clear plastic bags with a fly attractant in them. You pull the top open, fill them with water, and then close the cap which has holes in it. Flies can get in, but not out. Eventually, they fall into the water and drown. I like the system because it has no pesticides in it, but the attractant STINKS. Really, really stinks. Then, when the bag which advertises it can hold 1,000 flies fills up with dead insects, it smells even more. At first, we had to change the bags each week, but now, we are winning the war. The bags last a little longer. Last night, because the horse vet was coming today, and I wanted to clean up the barn and pasture, I took down the used bags and replaced them with fresh ones. To dispose of the traps, I put them in an empty horse feed bag and carried them out to the street to put in the garbage can. I didn’t realize it, but about halfway to the gate, the bag started to leak leaving a trail of dead bug juice along the driveway and down the leg of my jeans. What a disgusting smell! I had to take my clothes off on the back porch and rush them into the washing machine. I thought I had taken care of the odor, until Lucy came in the house and we realized she had rolled in the puddles of liquid. We made her get straight in the shower, but the whole house smelled bad. You know how hard I have worked to get my living room and dining room looking pretty and new. I was really proud of it until the dogs dragged in sand and made it start stinking like bug juice. I was thinking of how many times life appears to be about perfect and then, someone comes along, dumps bug juice and messes up my world leaving me to shake my head and say, “Why, Why, Why?” It reminds me of a song on the Amy Grant CD which I have been replaying over and over called Somewhere Down the Road where she says that someday in Heaven we will have the answers to the questions we ask. That may be but I think it will be more than getting the answers. I think when we are in the presence of God, we will no longer have the questions! What do you think?

Somewhere Down the Road
(Amy Grant & Wayne Kirkpatrick)

So much pain and no good reason why
You’ve cried until the tears run dry
And nothing here can make you understand
The one thing that you held so dear
Is slipping from your hands
And you say
Why, why, why
Does it go this way
Why, why, why
And all I can say is


[Chorus:]


Somewhere down the road
There’ll be answers to the questions
Somewhere down the road
Though we cannot see it now
Somewhere down the road
You will find mighty arms reaching for you
And they will hold the answers at the end of the road


Yesterday I thought I’d seen it all
I thought I’d climbed the highest wall
Now I see the learning never ends
And all I know to do is keep on walking
Walking ’round the bend, saying
Why, why, why
Does it go this way
Why, why, why
And all I can say is

[Chorus]


Why, why, why
Does it go this way
Why, why, why
And all I can say is
All I know to say now

[Chorus]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYtqPgIE-kg