Those Pesky Fleas

My son has a cat. My son visits me. His cat wanders in the woods. Not all fleas are annihilated by flea poison. Conclusion: I occasionally have unwelcome invaders. A few days ago I saw a tiny black spot on my leg, and sure enough, I found a flea! I was quick enough to pinch it between my thumb and forefinger before it could jump. Now, how to get rid of it? Aha! A bowl of water sat in my kitchen sink. The perfect solution—or so I thought.

I put my thumb and forefinger deep into the water, opened them up, released the flea, and walked away, feeling smug.

Then a thought hit me—can fleas survive in water? I went to the internet, where I learned that, yes, surprisingly, fleas can survive in water for hours. They have an oily covering that protects them and, at times, even enables them to jump out of water. I rushed back to the sink and found the flea floating, so I turned the water on, dumped the contents of the bowl and the flea down the drain, and ran the water long enough that I felt it surely had to be gone for good. How like the flea are the “little” sins in our lives? We think we have dealt with them for good, only to have them pop up again. We begin to question ourselves and wonder, Am I just being legalistic, or is this really a sin? Have you ever found yourself looking for a loophole? My friends, our salvation does not depend on our good or bad habits; it depends on our dependence on Jesus. We need to be aware of anything that makes the things of the world look more attractive to us. Those are the things that pull us away from our Savior rather than help us be ready for His return. Why can sin appear to be so attractive? Why are bad habits so hard to break? Because they reward us with a good feeling—for a while. Every time we choose to repeat an action, the pathways in our brain become stronger until it becomes easier and easier to continue. Jesus can help us if we ask. Is it worth the struggle? We each have a choice to make.

Jesus wants us to be the best that we can be.

He is preparing a home for us where we will live with Him for eternity. Is it worth it? Oh yes! A thousand times, yes!

Lila Farrell Morgan