Paddling & Rescue

I found him in my pool, paddling right, left, front and back legs moving but getting him no where. I knew his fate but had no idea how long he had been in this state of surface gliding minus traction. Do I rescue him? Do I let him continue in his survival attempts, knowing his demise was an eventuality inescapable?

It didn't take me long to decide. I got the skimmer and planned on scooping him out. While retrieving the screen on a pole, I considered my options:

1. Scoop the crawly out of the waters that threatened his life, and fling him over the fence hoping he never returns to my back yard

2. Scoop him out and smash him against the fence hoping he would expire (a rather impolite word for die)

3. Land him somewhere so he could crawl away and munch on more of the leaves on plants decorating my gardens

I went with choice number 1 but alas, my fling was ineffective, and the little fella landed inside my side of the fence, rather than on government ground, meaning the walkway that lines my property. The idea of a flying thing being relegated to outside my property permanently is laughable: that little guy could do as he pleased as long as he was free to walk on solid ground and leaf, twig or tree, and as long as his wings could buzz him here there and everywhere, making him a little destructive traveling monster of sorts. 

Destructive traveling monsters

The tank like ~ they truly resemble armoured vehicles, don't they? ~ iridescent Japanese beetle is an unwelcome pest that devours without care of the holes and ugly jagged marks it leaves behind. As far as beetles go, this particular brand of bug is rather attractive. So far this summer, I have rescued a beetle, a bee, flying ants, spiders, a rat ... yes, a rat! Last year there was a cute little chipmunk ...

Not one of these critters thanked me, dear reader, not one! Some of them preened and cleaned, drying themselves off before taking their leave, completely unaware that they owed me a debt of gratitude for giving them one more day to delight, dig, snack, fly, run, crawl, scurry ... I was their super hero and they just plain old moved along, oblivious to their previous peril and ready to face another adventure. 

I wonder about my little beetle ... will I find him in the pool yet again? Will he wonder, What the heck? how am I in deep water once more, and then shout, Help me, someone, hey lady, HEY LADY!!! Get me outta here!

Imagine with me the desperation in the cries and shouts of earthly inhabitants as water rose up from springs, and great sheets of rain poured down for the first time, from skies that opened for the express purpose of drowning, extinguishing life. For an account of this, read Genesis 6-9

Men, animals, flora, and beetles ... all destroyed because the humans would not, adamantly refused, praising and glorifying God for the lives He had given. He gave them lots of time to do so, as He does for us that still live and breath. 

Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water (1 Peter 3:20)

God waited 

God watched

Eight humans were saved before flood waters covered the earth. God saw to it that within an arc, provision for a future was secured for the small surviving family. Those that died with lungs filled with liquid were eradicated, wiped out to be seen and heard no more. God no longer had to suffer their blatant, repulsive, wicked and vile ways. Are we there again, dear reader? 

We have some more time, that is the good news. And 1 Peter 3:20 is followed by verses 21-22:

The like whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ: Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.

While the flood waters destroyed the wicked and their souls now suffer in hell fire eternally, Noah and his family were preserved, and we too, can be. We can be baptized and washed clean, removing the filth of this fleshly life, our conscience rinsed so that we are renewed and restored to relationship with God through Christ our Lord and Saviour. 

Sinned greatly

I realized this morning that I have sinned greatly ... I have wanted the wicked beetle like people wiped out so they can no longer devour and destroy God's created beings, both fauna and flora, and especially, His humans. I have wanted someone to do something because I am not long suffering, I am impatient and impetuous and yet, God has been merciful and gracious with me in countless ways, and thankfully, His timing is perfect, even if you and I are similar in our desire to see awful things made a right. If you are like me, you sigh and cry over the injuries, the heartache, the losses that accumulate daily. Wanting justice is not wrong ... God is just.

So I wait, I watch, but more importantly ...

God waits

God watches

He waits for the ones that have yet to come to Truth

He watches you and me, to see if we will obey His commandments

And our job, dear reader, is to pray for lost souls and to model God's love, through Christ our Lord

Amen