Wednesday 11 November 2015

The moth, the screaming lady, and the light - let's All come in

Imagine for a minute, a grown woman running around her bedroom with a can of insect spray screaming. Just screaming. Not spraying. Not spraying anything.

Now, imagine on the other end of the shrill, a moth. Not just any moth. A big one. Brown. Spotted, with strips. Teeny tiny googley eyes. Imagine it flying around. It too must be scared of this grown woman running around with a can. Screaming.

That was how I spent about an hour last night. A big brown moth had flown through my window. In Jamaica, we calls these big moths - 'duppy bats'. Translation for duppy - ghost! They are apparently evil, and if someone dies and they fly into your house - it's thought that it's that dead person in 'duppy bat' form! So do I want a 'duppy bat' in my bedroom? I think not. I shrieked.

It flew around in my bedroom, and I didn't take my eyes off of the thing, I screamed- just screamed, and woke everyone up. Then it went to the window and I took my eyes off it for one minute, to get the spray and it was gone. I felt a sense of relief but the fact that I didn't see it fly out myself, I wasn't at ease. I turned the light on and off - no moth. I exhaled. As I was ready to turn in and turn the lights out - it flew straight at me!

It was me, the moth and a can of insect spray. I lived to tell the tale, the insect spray is still here to kill again- and the moth? It died from cruel and unusual punishment from numerous sprays from the tin plus hits from my pillow when it landed on my bed dazed. Talk about overkill!

That poor moth died more from cultural beliefs than from being a scary creature. For as I went into the bathroom, there was a tiny moth by the light, resting, I assume. I wasn't the least bit perturbed by that one. It wasn't the size that mattered - it was the whole - well - 'duppy bat' thing.

I thought to myself - there is a post in this event - I just know it. And then it came to me, the moth are our fears - they fly in suddenly and take route. Every now and again, we overcome them but like the moth; they are there under the surface just waiting to come out until we finally just kill it! Dead.

Perfect post! But then - my father said- NO! That's not it Tanya. Think.

So I thought, but what I came up with made no sense, at least not to me, until I did some reading about moths, and then I smiled at a God who speaks to us through his creation. We will see it, if we look.

Moths are positively phototactic - meaning they automatically move towards light.

I worked at a company that had an all glass showroom, in the mornings I used to come and see dead birds at the door, I felt bad for them. They flew right into the glass and died. Birds see the reflections in the glass, they can't tell the glass is a barrier. I transferred part of that knowledge, albeit wrongly, unto my moth situation. The moth I thought can't even tell that it is flying through someone's window into a house. It must just be directionally challenged. Lost. If it realized, it would never have flown in. Perhaps?

The moth, died, somewhere between all those sprays and hits with my pillow and being thrown through the window - three quarter way dead - for one thing- LIGHT!

Moths, it is believed, fly towards artificial light, not because they are attracted to it but because they use the moon as a navigational source to fly, but artificial light confuses them, so they fly towards it instead. But, I came across this page, that gave a most interesting spin on this theory.

While scientist battle over why moths gravitate towards light, I already know why, and I'm sure, so do you....


John 8:12 says Then spake Jesus unto them saying"I am the light of the world, he who follows me, will not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life."

The newest moth navigation theory ( yes, there is a moth navigation theory!) involves a researcher called Henry Hsiao, who studied moths and found that they do not use light as a navigational tool but they head straight towards it and circle it - he doesn't know why. Other scientist believe they circle because they are confused.

John 1:5 And the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehend it not.

It is now believed that moths fly towards light, as a way to find a place to hide!( Read the full article here)

I can almost fall off my bed laughing with complete joy.  Isn't it Psalms 91 that tells us to abide in the shadow of the Almighty? Isn't it this same Psalm that says we will be delivered from our enemies if we abide in the Almighty? 

The Light.

 The light we should fly towards and circle until we rest right by Him - like the moth?

The moth cannot help but be attracted to light, haha...interestingly, the article said, the moth doesn't fly much when it's a full moon. Why? It's too bright for them! And even the moth knows it can't have all the 'glory' of the Lord, lest it be consumed.

The big question is? Are we attracted to God as the moth is attracted to light?
Do we go everywhere we see God's light and rest there?
Do we just have to have it, even unto death?
Is the moth trying to show us just the way we should live?

Moths, have brains. They sense. They act.

Right now, if I knew that if I go directly towards something I'm attracted to and its possible that I risk death....I'm not going...sorry

but if you ask me to...............

.....go towards a marvelous light, encamp there, build a tent there, and risk death there.......I might still say....sorry...I'm not going.............not because I don't love God but......

I have a family...
I have kids...
I have a nice job...
I'm comfortable here...
I sing on the choir...
I go to bible study....
I'm already in the Women's Auxillary
I feed the homeless...
I visit the prisoners at Christmas...
I'm a good Christian....already though God - why the whole die thing has to come into play?

And that's when you know....


That's when you know if you are ALL in. That's when you know.......if you actually lived to tell the tale or is the only thing left standing the can of insect spray.

My window is closed tonight, but I thank the moth for flying in last evening. No coincidences. I want to be ALL in, for to die in Christ is gain.

How about you?

Readings: John 1

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6 comments:

  1. Beautiful post, Tanya. Absolutely beautiful.
    Yes, I'm All in too.

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    1. Thank you lady Gleniece - that name just came to me for you, so you will be my lady Gleneice from now on :) ...Oh to be drowning in it, I strive to be all the way there! Let me know how you do it!

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  2. How wonderful!! Great Post! I'll never think of moths the same again!! I also wanted to say it will take me a bit to get my Liebster Award post up..I've got a flu coming on and can't quite focus on the instructions!! Thank you for your lively post, thank you for the nomination!!

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    1. Thank you Kathy, and you are welcome- i fell in love with your banner and your profile the first visit! I have been one of those silent readers, but when it was time to think of a few bloggers, I knew you must be on the list! I pray you feel better soon and up and running in no time. Try garlic - it cures everything! garlic and honey. Looking forward to your posts

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  3. Am I all in...even if it means my death? With everything in me I want to say yes. But truth is my actions don’t always match what my hearts knows it should do. I want to follow the light with reckless abandonment. Thank you Tanya for being able to hear the different ways the Lord speaks...who would have thought you can get so much revelation from a moth?

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    1. Anika, I'm right there with you in the thought process, it is the hardest thing to do but what we have to all strive for daily. I would never have thought a moth could have taught me anything! But I still don't wantto be in a room with them just yet!

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