In the six and half months that I have spent in Zim, I am learning how wonderful it is to live in a warm climate. Here you can garden all year around, never have to worry about driving on icy roads, and the sun seems to always be shining! In Michigan, we can only use the laundry line for less than three months of the year, but in Zim you can dry your clothes outside all year around, which brings me to my one complaint of a warm climate......BUGS!
      I am actually not afraid of bugs. If they don’t bother me, I won’t bother them. But when there are ants in large quantities, I mean MASSIVE quantities, where they don’t belong; I become the meanest exterminator ever! I grab my deadly spray off the shelf, aim it at the ants’ home, and yell, “Prepare to die!” (I think it’s only fair to warn them of their doom first). Other bugs that I find in unusual places I am calm about, I’ll sweep them away or let them live outside. Spiders on the other hand.....have to die! The only technique I have not fully mastered is...ironing.
Here in Zim, I have learned you must first iron all clothes before folding them, due to the infamous Putsi fly. They can lay eggs in your warm wet clothes, which hatch while you’re wearing them and then burro into your skin, where they emerge a few weeks later leaving painful sores. I must confess I do not enjoy ironing. I have designated every Wednesday or Thursday as laundry day, thus only having to iron once a week.  Standing there for an hour or two (I am still learning how to iron properly) doing the same painful repetitive motion isn’t exactly my cup of tea.  I do it because I must, and I know our clothes are better for it.
    The other day, I was explaining to my Mom the “wonderful” world of ironing and she, full of wisdom, explained to me that sometimes bugs need to be ironed out of one’s life. This made me think, “What bugs need to be ironed out of my life?”
     I am now trying to “iron” out the “bug” of complaining. I honestly don’t complain allot, but occasionally when I do, I know my husband notices and finds it very unattractive, as do most people!  If I go through the day thanking the Lord for the simplest things, such as ants, I know that will help “iron” out the “bug” of a complaining attitude. In life we may need to “iron” out many “bugs.” Whether it is a “bug” of an unhealthy relationship, the “bug” of having a habit of lying, or the “bug” of complaining, they can and should be ironed out of our lives. It might be painful, annoying or quite tedious to iron out such bugs, but the end result will always be better, healthy, and a more joyous life!
    So, the next time I bring out my iron, instead of complaining, I’ll thank the Lord that I can iron out the bugs, and I’ll pray that God will show me what “bugs” need to be “ironed” out next.
Enjoy Ironing! *wink*

-Esther