The Record Newspapers - Hometown News For Orange County, Texas

A man saw a dead fly lying on the window sill. Suddenly, he began to think about how the fly represents so much of life as it is lived... not by flies, but by humans. Here are a few of the thoughts that filled his mind as he stared at the dead fly. 

The fly left it all on his field of dreams. The effort exhausts without truth. A false savior will kill you every time. We can’t invent freedom. It’s not up to us to make it. Things are not always what they seem. It’s okay to stop and rest. Listen!

He made a little banner with a post-it note and a toothpick. On the banner he wrote “I did it my way.” Then he took some small rocks and hoisted the banner above the fly in honor of the fly’s Herculean effort.

So what does the fly teach us? The dead fly illustrates how some live out our lives. Here in Texas, we have seen lots of flies trying to get out through the window and die trying because there is a screen prohibiting their exit. The fly put everything it had into getting out but died trying. The fly gave all he had and left it on his field of dreams just as we will.

The fly didn’t have truth. Sadly, the fly was deceived. He believed freedom was ahead, but it was only death. Death awaits all, no matter what else you may think or deny. The fly never heard anyone say, “Fly you cannot get through that screen.” The fly saw the window and it was determined to go out, even if it killed him. And it killed him.

We all live out our lives looking through the screen. We want to know our salvation is assured. We want to believe without a doubt that God is going to welcome us into the eternity that He intends for us. But, sometimes God seems hard to get to. God seems to be on the other side of the screen and we cannot get there. Thus, many people find themselves working out their faith without any confidence. Like the fly, real freedom is what people seek. It is a freedom from worry and a real honest knowledge of God’s love.

The fly sought the light! We too want to know the LIGHT. In John 14:6-7 Jesus said, “I am the Road (the Way), also the Truth, also the Life. No one gets to the Father apart from me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him. You’ve even seen him!” Jesus is the Light of the world and the Light will overcome the darkness, or the screens of life.

Sometimes, things are not as they appear to be. The fly thought it saw all it needed... it just needed to pass into that future. It simply needed to fly, but it couldn’t. Many of us do that. We become enamored with false visions. Either we think we can make it into the future eternity without God or we think being good is simply enough. Why didn’t the fly rethink its strategy? Why didn’t it just stop thinking, “I can do it, I can do it. I’ll try one more time, one more time, one more time!” It could not, we cannot. We look at the dead fly and wonder why it is so stupid and wonder if we are much smarter.

Thankfully, God is a lot smarter than we are.

God knew we needed a way to get to the Light.

The truth is that we, like the fly on the window sill, will die too.

Happiness, love, joy, etc...

in this life and the next can only be given by God.

God (The Holy Spirit) comes through the screen and meets us here on earth and gives us hope.

It is a real hope that will sustain us in our trials, and help us live as disciples.

God even reaches out to us in our death and raises us out of our grave.

God does it all.

It’s not up to us.

Yes, we are much like a fly, but if can put your trust in God, your eternal life is absolutely assured.

That is good news.

If you have trouble trusting, simply ask God for help in your effort. God will respond.

I give thanks to Dr.

Baxter Kruger for seeing a dead fly on the window sill and, who knows, maybe we will see that fly in heaven, it just won’t annoy us.

Until next time, Blessings!