They were simply everywhere.
Truly it was an invasion of sorts, a
reverse of what happened in the springtime, when a multitude of the
stinkbugs suddenly appeared. Unnoticed before, the little brown bugs
could now be spotted on walls, tables, and buzzing around lampshades when
the lights were turned on. Thankfully not harmful, they were yet
creepy, their one protection mechanism being to emit a horrid,
lingering smell when disturbed or crushed, prompting warnings to
release them outdoors unharmed or dispose of anything that touched
them likewise outside. A quick internet search revealed that having
enjoyed the warmth of our winter home, these once-invisible
house-guests were now just anxious to get back outside and find
something to eat. We were only too happy to let them go.
But now on a beautiful October day,
they were back, trying to take the house by storm. Thousands of the
brown shield-shaped bodies swarmed over windows, screens, glass doors
and awnings, an onslaught of an armor-clad insect army seemingly
intent on making its way back indoors. Alarmed, I texted pictures of
our bug-covered windows to my husband, whose terse four-word
response became the battle cry of the day: “DON'T LET THEM INSIDE!”
Obligingly I took the dogs in and out to do their business through
the garage door, keeping a closed line of defense between us and the
bugs at all times.
Because it was October and I had the
day off, I started knitting a leaf-shaped coaster to sit under my
coffee cup as a celebration of fall. I found some yarn and sat at the
kitchen table, keeping my needles moving and a wary eye on the
attempted invasion going on outside. It helped to know I was not
doing so alone. Facebook posts warned fellow homeowners likewise
under attack to pull any window air-conditioners that might give the
bugs access and to maintain a tight ship while the invasion was
ongoing.
And then, just as quickly as it
started, it was over. A day or two later there wasn't a bug to be
seen. Where had they gone? Had they made it into my attic? Or had
they retreated to attack again in another place on another day? Just
glad to see them go, I pushed all thought of them away and went on
with my days.
There was plenty of other stuff to
think about; my mind of late had been bombarded with anxious
thoughts. Health concerns, family issues, friends battling
life-threatening illnesses...on and on the enemy lobbed worry
grenades on a mind that was for some reason left open to attack.
Normally good at pushing worrisome thoughts aside, I was overwhelmed
by the sheer number of mental bombs exploding around me and had
totally lost the pervading peace that guards my soul as a result.
Pinned down and cowering in a mental foxhole, I hollered for help in
this battle for my mind.
And He came. He showed up in picture
form, using the same photos I had sent to my husband days earlier of
the insect invasion. Each worry that was plaguing me was in reality
just a harmless little bug, an attempt to inject the stink of
worldly thinking into a mindset that prefers the fragrance of the
presence of God. Lulled by the earlier period of mental peace, I was
unprepared for the sudden onslaught of anxiety and had temporarily
lost my spiritual focus. And that is the enemy's battle plan in a
nutshell. He wants us to be so overwhelmed by what he is doing that
we spend all our time consumed with him instead of being about the
Father's business.
God doesn't want us sitting around
wringing our hands and watching the enemy; the devil is a defeated
foe. Instead, we should be filling our minds so full of the Kingdom
of God and His plans and purposes for our lives that we simply don't
have time to waste on worry. To borrow from Star Trek
vernacular, He has equipped us with mental deflector shields
to protect us from enemy attack. We just need to use them.
Our prayers activate those shields; the
Bible promises peace in response to the requests we make of
Him. More than just a pleasant word, peace is an active verb that
fights on our behalf, guarding our hearts and minds from the
onslaught of the troubles and trials of the world. Who knew that a
word that falls so softly on the ear could be such a mighty weapon of
war? Prayer and peace do battle together...and we are the grateful
recipients of the victory they provide.
I had to laugh when I looked at the
little coaster I had just completed. Looking more like a stinkbug
than the leaf I intended, perhaps it was God's intention for
me to set my coffee cup down on it each day and hear His voice say,
“Shields up!” as I prepared to then “boldly go” on my way.
“Do not let
yourself be overcome by evil, but overcome (master) evil with good.”
(Romans 12:21 AMP,
emphasis mine)
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