Oh, the joys of living in the countryside! The fresh air, the rolling hills, the peace and quiet...and the flies. Yes, you read that right. Flies. Those pesky little critters that seem to appear out of nowhere and invade your personal space without an invitation.

Oddly enough, we typically have very few issues with bugs in our area, but with the recent warm weather and fertilizing of the nearby fields, our home has become a fly paradise. They buzz around our heads, land on our food, and generally make a nuisance of themselves. And with no screens on the windows, they have free reign to come and go as they please.

Now, I’m not one to shy away from a good fly-swatting session. In fact, I have several fly swatters on hand at all times, ready to do battle with those little pests. But there's one problem: Tess.

Tess, our beloved terrier, is terrified of fly swatters. And I mean terrified. The mere sight of one sends her running for cover, trembling and whimpering. I'm not sure where this fear comes from, as we've never given her any reason to be afraid of them. But it's a legitimate fear nonetheless.

So, to keep Tess happy and calm, we've had to refrain from using the fly swatters unless she's out of the house and even out of earshot. It's a small sacrifice to make for the well-being of our furry friend, but it's a sacrifice nonetheless.

And it got me thinking about the deeper idea that sometimes love means giving up certain conveniences or habits for the well-being of others. It's easy to get caught up in our own comfort and convenience, but as Christians, we're called to put others first.

Philippians 2:3-4 says, "Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others."

This means that we should be willing to sacrifice our own comfort and convenience for the sake of others. It might mean giving up our favorite TV show to spend time with a friend who needs a listening ear. It might mean skipping our morning coffee run to help a neighbor with a project. It might even mean refraining from using a fly swatter to keep our cuddly pup happy.  I once heard it put this way:  “Convenience and compassion never travel hand in hand.”

And it's not just about sacrificing for others. It's also about reflecting Christ's love. In John 13:34-35, Jesus says, "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another."

When we sacrifice for others, we show them the love of Christ. We put their needs above our own, just as Christ put our needs above His own when He died on the cross for our sins.

So, the next time you’re faced with a situation where you have to give up something for the sake of someone else, remember the fly swatter. Sometimes, love means sacrificing our own comfort and convenience for the well-being of others. And remember that by doing so, we're reflecting Christ's love to the world.

And who knows? You may even find that the sacrifice is worth it in the end. After all, there's nothing quite like the joy of seeing a happy and contented furry friend.