We moved about a year ago. Our home is tucked in a wooded and more rural area of the Dallas/Ft. Worth area now. We’ve enjoyed the quiet neighborhood and the wide open spaces. But with the onslaught of rain that fell relentlessly this Autumn, and the dense tree and brush coverage that populates our little plot, we were overrun with mosquitoes. In fact, I’d like to dub this year: “The Year of the Mosquitoes,” because it seems like so many of my friends have had the same problem.
They have been everywhere. They hovered around the kids’ swing set, nestled in the nooks of their tire swings and seemed to be in wait; eager to pounce on any unsuspecting passerby. What they seemed to love most was hanging around the doorpost. Anytime we opened the front or back door, they would make a bee-line into our house. So, over the summer and fall, our outdoor mosquito problem became an indoor one and I became an “insect soldier” – on a mission to destroy any flying critter that I saw in OR out. With an artillery of bug repellents always at hand, I was on guard and ready for attack at all times. I never let the boys outside to play without slathering some type of lotion on them that would keep the annoying bugs away from their sweet, tender skin. It became our routine: chin up, arms out, jeans up – they were covered.
The winter months have brought some cooler weather to Dallas. We’ve enjoyed a frost or two and even a few snow flurries that dropped deliciously from the sky. The cold temperatures have warded off the beasts that have bothered us for so long. But I’d forgotten that, so yesterday when it warmed up just enough for us to throw on our jackets and do afternoon homework on the picnic table, the boys stood in a row for their normal bug shielding routine: arms, legs, neck and face. It was a gorgeous day and we had a great time but it slowly dawned on me
that – the bugs were gone. I’d forgotten that the cold air had gotten rid of the pesky insects. So here the kids were, covered in protective goo that they really didn’t need. I think I do this in my life sometimes. I guard myself against things that aren’t there anymore or maybe even weren’t there in the first place. Call it routine or habit, I tend to spend time shielding myself against pain that the cool air of God’s grace and mercy have already healed. I shield my heart from
loving deep because of the potential of hurt that He really has prepared me to handle. And while we should always stand on guard against the enemy that is at work in the world, we don’t have to be afraid of Him. He’s been zapped – taken care of by Christ’s work on the
cross. Have you been living afraid? Guarding yourself against something that you need not fear?
Today’s the day to roll up your sleeves and the legs of your pants and run barefoot in the plush greenery of God’s grace. He’s paid the price – the bugs are gone!
Have a great day,
Priscilla
