Recently, as I was driving, I noticed a ladybug perched on my car window. This tenacious little ladybug hung on for dear life as the hard surface beneath her suddenly roared to life and accelerated onto the highway.
Can you imagine that moment from the ladybug’s perspective? You are minding your own business, bebopping through life in the sunshine, when you decide to take a little flight break. You spy a perfect spot with a smooth surface. It doesn’t feel like a plant or a tree, but it’s broad with plenty of space for you to come in for a landing. You’re pretty small, so you can’t exactly see the full picture of what you’ve landed on, but it’s solid and feels safe. Maybe, it’s a picnic table like that one you found six weeks ago. If you wait long enough, those pesky humans are sure to drop some crumbs. You rub your front pair of little legs together in anticipation.
Before long, you hear a loud THUNK! Huh? What was that? Then every molecule of your being literally shakes. Earthquake! But it doesn’t stop there. Suddenly, that solid, flat surface you found starts moving, slowly at first, but then faster and faster. The wind picks up to hurricane force speeds and it’s all you can do to keep your bright red wings tightly folded against your body.
Oh no! You think. You’ve accidentally landed on one of those giant monstrosities called cars. There is a brief respite as the motion slows just enough for your to scurry frantically into a tiny crevice created by the join of the window to the black rubber weather seals. There’s a slightly raised piece of black molding running the length of the window that you wedge yourself behind, providing just enough shelter to ensure you don’t get blown away. The side mirror provides a little bit of a windbreak for you too, luckily.
You are in for a wild nightmare of a ride. Thirty minutes of roaring wind, paralyzing sounds of traffic, and the teeth-jarring vibration of the motor fill your senses. It’s all you can do to just . . . hold . . . on.
Sometimes in life, we can feel just like that ladybug. We’ve landed on our tiny square of planet Earth, content to go about our daily tasks, until some event, some circumstance takes us on a wild ride we never saw coming. As the earth quakes and the engines roar, you wonder how you will survive, much less thrive.
The ladybug did three things right. 1.) She found shelter. 2.) She stuck to it. 3.) She held on and waited.
When the car first started to move, the ladybug was lounging on the center of the window. As the wind and speed began to pick up, she could have chosen to stay where she was and ride the window on her own strength. If she had, the wind would have snatched her away long before she reached safety. Instead, she seized the brief moment when the car slowed to crawl to the corner where a significant portion of the wind’s strength was blocked by weather proofing and the side mirror.
She cleaved herself to the seemingly meager shelter, and as grace would have it, it was just enough to save her and sustain her through the long trek ahead. God is your windbreak. Hiding yourself in his shadow, under his wings, doesn’t mean you won’t feel the wind. It’s there, but God takes the brunt of it so you don’t have to. (Psalm 91:4)
Next, the ladybug stuck to it. She could have allowed the terror of the eighteen wheeler rigs blazing by next to her to cause her to try and spread her wings, abandon her shelter, and fly away. Such an escape attempt would not have worked out well for her. Instead, she hunkered down, folded her wings in tight, and trusted her shelter to protect her. Sometimes, the only way out is through. Don’t leave God just because you think you see a better way. As soon as you step out to make a daring escape, you may realize just how much God was holding back the tide.
She held on and waited. The ladybug was patient, despite countless temptations to let go and give up. The wind tore at her, making her tired. The car rattled shaking her down to her core. The sky darkened, threatening to rain, which of course was the last thing she needed to happen. But then, the wind faded, the rattling ceased, and the sky lightened. When the car stopped, the ladybug was surrounded by backyard garden perfection. Her endurance through the journey made the destination all the sweeter. Hold on to God like He’s the only thing standing between you and utter disaster. Hold on. Don’t let go. The wait will be worth it.
Grace and Peace,
A.A. Wordsmith
Selah Vie! 