1 John 3:16-18

“By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.”

The walk to Au Sable Light Station in Alger County, Michigan, requires a 1.7 mile hike from the parking lot. We knew there would be biting flies that would attempt to harass us on our venture to view this lighthouse. And on the way there, they weren’t terrible.

It was a hike (especially pulling a wagon with a tiny human in it), but it was a very beautiful lighthouse. I’m glad we went, and got a cute family picture (shown above).

The walk back, however, was a different story. There was a little bridge we stopped at, to walk down to the beach, and it was then that the flies began to swarm with a vengeance. We’re talking Biblical plague level.

A fellow hiker, a kind stranger, gave us a tip of waving a fern branch to help keep the flies away, but it wasn’t as helpful as one would hope.

Along the path, we encountered a younger couple (maybe late-twenties or early-thirties) that were just beginning their hike. They were already waving branches but were covered in flies. My heart went out to them. As they got closer, I offered some bug spray to them. They thankfully accepted, and upon departing, I said, “God bless!” (I’ve been intentionally looking for ways to be God’s light in this world, and this was one little way.)

Now, I don’t share this story to toot my own horn. Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” I share this story because after getting back in the truck, we drove back into town to eat some dinner at a restaurant.

As we are nearing the end of our meal, my wife and I were bracing for impact of what the bill was going to be, only to find out that some generous stranger decided to cover the cost of our meal. We were so blessed!

Apparently, God prepared in advance a good work for someone else to do. As it says in 1 John 3, “let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.”