It's in the evening when I notice my leg itches, or the kids ask for Tiger Balm (our Thai solution to off-set the itch, which mostly behaves like Icy-Hot). "When did I get bit?" I question for the third time today. See, that's the thing, mosquitoes are sneaky; by the time you feel the bite, the damage has been done. But there are warning signs. When the kids are in bed and the house is quiet, I can hear that high pitched squeal. Hoping the electric tennis racket flyswatter is charged, I swing in hopes of hearing that rewarding sound, "zap."
I realized something new tonight.
When much is going on, you cannot hear the mosquito's war cry for blood. It's when there are few distractions that I am prepared to fight because I hear it coming. Life is loud and busy and mosquitoes of all species are fighting to bite.
When much is going on, you cannot hear the mosquito's war cry for blood. It's when there are few distractions that I am prepared to fight because I hear it coming. Life is loud and busy and mosquitoes of all species are fighting to bite.
"Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls
around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." I Peter 5:8
I need this reminder. The enemy never misses a day of work and if our distractions, even well-intentioned ones, allow our minds to drift, we let our guard down and open the door for the enemy to get a foot-hold.
"You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. In you anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. "
Ephesians 4:22-27
Putting off the old self. Sometimes I get weary of these words. They feel like dirty dishes in the sink. Never-ending. Scrubbing, rinsing, drip-drying (do people really dry their dishes?) and putting them away, only to be used and dirtied again. They never achieve "clean for life" status. However, I cannot stop tending to my sinkful. Imagine the stink! Honestly, I don't have to imagine.
Two weeks ago we were without water for nearly 48 hours. The dishes in the kitchen sink began to fill so I shut the door to the kitchen. I just knew we'd have water back by lunch...well, certainly by dinner...breakfast? By the time we finally had water in the tank, the real surprise came. A cockroach was in the sink, surely going after what we had left behind, unattended. Nearby, my mop bucket had not been emptied and a huge spider called it home. 
We cannot leave our homes unattended and expect all to be well. (Especially in Southeast Asia!) More importantly, we cannot neglect the temple of God: our bodies. We must be watchful, fighting, with the power of God in us, to strip away at our old self. With this conscious decision we hold our fists to the enemy and actively pursue more of the new self: righteousness and holiness through the covering of Jesus.
Tonight I'm sitting on my couch, listening to buckets of rain fall onto our roof and waterfall to tile and ground below. My heart is wrestling with these questions.
- Am I actively shedding my old self?
- What doors am I leaving open for the enemy to walk in?
- Noise. What do I need to tune out in exchange for being watchful and ready?
- "The attitude of your (my) mind." Ephesians 4:23
Mosquitoes are this rainy season's gift to me. Flying reminders that warn me to be watchful and to quiet myself with determination to pursue Christ.
