A Lesson from a Cockroach

“It’s the simple things in life that are the most extraordinary” -Paulo Coehlo, The Alchemist

For the past few hours I have been mindful of the next blog piece that I will write. The collective thoughts that are gathering in my mind appear to be like a wind blowing in all directions. But like a wind, there is no doubt that these ideas are capable of moving a person that is why I keep them in my bag of thoughts worthy to ponder over and over again. But the unseen Hand has its own mysterious ways in realizing our noble cause in the most unexpected ways.

While looking at my fingers, my mind kept on wondering whether they can give me the first lines of what I should write. Time went still. Out of nowhere a cockroach flew in the midst of the room. Pestering us with its elusive maneuvering as it hid it-self underneath a bed. Hezy, one of my room mate, decided to get a broom with the intention of getting rid of the menace-permanently. “You can’t kill it by that. Spray it with an insecticide.” delivering my words in a form of suggestion. Yet Hezy remained focused on the use of the broom as if he has mastered the arts of killing a cockroach using it. Thus I decided to prove my point by getting the sprayer myself.

After a moment of waiting, at last the source of annoyance has revealed itself and flew on top of the curtain. With haste I immediately sprayed the liquid over and over again in the area where it lingers as it desperately attempted to pull an escape once more. When everything was over, Almond, who seemed to enjoy watching our struggle against the ill-fated insect, said “You can’t be in the military, you shoot randomly without aiming first.” his words were accompanied with laughter.

I was both surprised and a little bit irritated by the blatant remark. But then suddenly I felt the wind blew in one direction. Humbled by the way the Hand has thought me, the idea became crystal clear. “That’s it!” I will write about the cockroach. Puzzled by what I said, they were eager to know what can a wannabe writer learn from an encounter with an insect. I just said “You need to wait until tomorrow to read it” in an effort to whet their curiosity.

“I suppose there is no one of you who has not thought more or less about the great Rabbi. He spake as never man spake. I should like to bring you to the mountain-side, that we might listen to the words as they fell from his gently lips. He used just to hang truth upon anything. Yonder is a sower, a fox, a bird and He just gathers the truth around them, so that you cannot see a fox, a sower, or a bird, without thinking what Jesus said.

He makes the little sparrow chirping in the air preach to us. How the little ones love his sermons. And yet how profound He was; how He puzzled the wise men; how the scribe and the Pharisees would never fathom him! Oh! do you think that He was a wonderful preacher?”

His words will teach us to view life through the eyes of a child. Unattached from the pride of life and not blinded by the corruption of men. Only in this way, can the ordinary becomes extraordinary. I am honored to meet some people who have not lost their sense of innocence. They remain a rarity of this world and though God has no favorites, these men and women can easily capture His heart. Only those who have childlike hearts can understand his teachings. Have you lost your childlike heart? Have you surrendered to the lust and perversion of this sinful world. That your heart is in constant agony of living a mechanical life, a life that goes on and on without a sense of adventure and purpose. Is your spirit battered by the constant cruelty of men and their broken promises? Are you burdened with the things that are not His own doing?

Take courage! Retrace the path back into His arms through repentance and complete surrender. In Him you can find refuge and peace. He will cloth you with a white garment. Spotless and as white as snow. You will be blameless at His sight. Joy will be your strength and reverence will guard your heart. Bring back the child in you. Who easily trust and do not take the time to weigh what he might lose in surrendering to the Author of Life. He will gift you with wisdom that will enable you to learn from the simplest of all creations.

As for me, the encounter with a cockroach reminded me of how I carelessly shoot on the things that I want to achieve on my life without first aiming and understanding my target (goal). I am the one who chose the target and I am responsible for it. Always regard it with proper respect and dignity; and to know what it means and how much effort, training and intuition required on my part to succeed.

NOTE: Italic bold sentences are excerpt from the sermon of Dwight L. Moody, What think Ye of Christ?