I was reveling in a sleep in after a night out. A teacher’s dream, I’d been looking forward to Spring Break for weeks. Clearly my cat, Kingston didn’t get the memo. At 6:45am I was roused by his yowling (not to be confused with a more subdued meowing) from downstairs. I ignored him, clinging to my comforter and willing myself not to wake fully. It was no use. Up and grumbling, the cat didn’t have my tongue, but he had my attention. As I huffed down the stairs and flicked the light on in the kitchen, from squinting to squealing my sounds now matched “the King’s.”
There was a flash mob of ants…everywhere.
Spring is a time of newness. And yet, there is nothing new under the sun (Son). Every year since I’ve been blessed to live in my home, I’ve also been greeted by ants when the weather finally breaks. I’ve tried all manner of sprays and traps. But nothing gets the job done like a particular company that specializes in terminating the existence of pests. I have but to call and they answer; familiar with my fight, seeing what I can’t and specializing in what I don’t. They are masters at what they do. They are kind enough to give me options. They can simply defend me and my house from the perimeter if I’m not at home. But if I make an appointment, if I take the time to get still, to stay home and ask– they are willing to come inside and really get to the root of the infestation. I just have to let them in.
Kind of like sin. For me anyway. It starts out by watching shows with scenes that I rewind in my head late at night long after I’ve turned the TV off. It’s the texts that turn to calls that turn to visits. It’s the 5 minutes to check the weather real quick in the morning before I do my devotional…on Facebook…an hour later. It’s subtle. I think that I can handle it and keep God at the perimeter. I confess some, but not all. I leave a dish here, a cup there. And the pest grows, feeding on my crumbs. Until one day The Light exposes an infestation.
Thankfully, we have but to call and God answers. He’s actually there whether we call Him or not. He’s omniscient. Omnipotent. He defends and protects when we don’t have sense enough to realize there’s a problem hatching or when we do know, but go on anyway. He knows. And He still loves us. He gives us options; He’s kind like that, a gentleman. But to get at the root, to get rid of that which seeks to take from, and feed off of us we need to call on Him. To get any sense of control over the situation, to keep it from taking over and setting up permanent residence–we need to let Him in. Only then can the spring cleaning of our hearts begin.
“For everyone who calls on the name of The Lord will be saved.”
Romans 10:13
