The Lady Bug

I got to my office and put down my lunch bag and purse. I noticed there was a ladybug on my desk. She was crawling around a little, here and there, exploring her surroundings. I put my things away and sat down. As I watched, she would move a bit and then stop for a while. Now I will guarantee you if this was a spider, it would have been toast immediately! But I knew I was in no danger of being bitten so I decided since she’s a creature of God, I would let her live.

I worked for a few hours with her at my elbow. It was a little distracting, trying not to smash her without thinking. Then I looked over and saw she had gotten in the grove of where one part of my desk meets the other and flipped over on her back. Her little legs were moving and moving, trying to right herself again. If she had vocal cords, I imagine I would have heard her screaming, “Help me! Help me, I can’t make it right!” Oh, how she tried to get back on her little legs, but to no avail. How many times have you seen dead ladybugs in exactly this condition – flat on their backs, dead?

It occurred to me that we are in some ways like that ladybug. We end up in a situation where we cannot help ourselves. Or for some of us, multiple situations all at once! We cry out, we weep, we wail. We’re flailing our arms to get someone’s attention (metaphorically) and there doesn’t seem to be any assistance on the way from any direction. We’re alone – we’re in a mess – we can’t right ourselves.

That’s where a life coach comes in. A life coach will come along side you, listen intently to what you have to say, ask the right questions, and help you think through your situation more clearly than you would have on your own. They extend a hand to help you up from the pit and onto your own two feet to begin a new path, a new direction. No judgement as to how you got there, just a desire to help you move on.

I took a piece of paper and put that ladybug on her little legs again so she could continue to explore my desk. I’m imagining that in her tiny ladybug voice, she said a grateful “thank you” as she went on her way, with a new chance at life.