Flies, for example.

Unlike caterpillars which bring joy as butterflies, we just get a transition from maggots to flies.

No part of their life cycle is beautiful to me – especially not living here where the maggot stage ends up in wheelie bins and the end product get into every gap in your fly screens.

“Close the door!”, I shout, for the tenth time today. “Didn’t you wipe down the watermelon juice from the bench!”, I complain.

Flies get at me. I’m not sure if it is hereditary or not – my dad had his favourite thick rubber band to snick them with and used to obsessively chase them around our house.

Sometimes, like flies, it seems we take on the least appealing aspects in our lineage. We all know those moments when you find you’re like your parents in the ways you don’t want to be.

An unattractive life cycle, unwanted trait inheritance.

This is the final reason I stay in Katherine – the free gift of God: He breaks the cycle, sets us free from generational dysfunction.

As we sing at Christmas: Jesus comes to make his blessings flow far as the curse is found. I stay because I want you to experience it too.

St Paul’s Anglican Church meets on Sundays at 9am with kids church. All welcome.