Several years ago, we had a flea problem in our house. It was especially strange because the only pets we had were fish! Where we these fleas coming from?? And my poor husband has “gourmet blood” — insects that bite anyone else once or twice will attack him mercilessly. His legs were covered in bites. He was miserable.
We sprayed every inch of the house, vacuumed several times a day, and still the fleas returned. Finally, we called in a professional.
Turns out, we had a raccoon living in our attic. He had found a space in the roof that allowed him entrance, and he – and his fleas – created a little nest above our heads. We had that part of the roof repaired and, voila, the fleas were gone!
Why am I telling you this story? Because I just read about Corrie Ten Boom’s experience in a concentration camp during World War II, where she thanked God for fleas! Thanked God for fleas. What would make her do that? Because the fleas in her terrible overcrowded bunkhouse kept the guards out, which allowed she and her sister to hold daily Bible studies. Those Bible studies brought many people to Christ and ushered in peace and joy to an otherwise horrific situation.
I wish I had some great spiritual reason for our raccoon’s fleas. I don’t. But I do know there are other kinds of “fleas” that can cause us to be bothered or annoyed. Maybe the “pests” are people, or situations. For me, often, it’s the simple act of waiting — in line at the grocery, at a ridiculously long red light; or maybe something bigger, like a job or the resolution to a conflict. In those moments, I can choose to focus on the “fleas” OR I can be like Miss Ten Boom. I can see those nasty little intruders as a gift. Maybe God is having me wait in line at the grocery because he wants me to encourage the person behind me. Maybe I’m stuck at a red light to have more time to pray. Maybe the waiting for a job or a resolution is an opportunity to develop patience and practice “rejoicing always” as Paul commands.
I am far too quick to focus on the negative. But reading this account, by a woman whose circumstances are so much worse than anything I could imagine, challenged me to change my focus. Thankfulness is a choice, not a result of life going the way we’d like. So today, I am choosing to be thankful.
“Giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Eph. 5:20
