And so it begins.

I thought my first blog post would be relatively easy. Turns out this blogging thing is harder than it seems… or maybe I’m just about as techy as I think I am. All I know is I feel I have something of value to add to the myriad of voices out there.

The idea just came to me!

What’s strange is the idea for this -my very first- blog post came while brushing my teeth in the bathroom. Will all my blog post topics originate in the room of rest? I highly doubt that, but who knows? In this case, the inspiration couldn’t have been clearer, or more obnoxious for that matter. It actually flew in my face to the point I couldn’t ignore it.

Question:

Is there something that annoys you so much, it keeps you awake at night? I’m not talking about a figurative something. I mean a literal, physical thing that drives you crazy if it’s in the same room as you… something you go to great lengths to be rid of? I do. And I don’t think I’m the only one with this problem. I mean, people have invented sprays, lotions, zappers, candles and so on in order to escape this very obtrusive blood sucking little monster of a bug… do you have any idea what I’m referring to? If you don’t, you obviously don’t have the same disdain for mosquitoes as I do.

I’m serious!

I truly cannot sleep if I hear a mosquito in the room and will not sleep until I know it is no longer in the room (preferably no longer on this side of the veil if you catch my drift).

I think my blood must be extra sweet (too many cookies perhaps?) because despite how many times I’ve tried to make my feelings toward them clear, those little bugs love me.

Storytime.

Here’s a true story from my life that will illustrate my feelings even further on this subject:

When I was in my teens, I was involved in a church group for young women. Each year, our leaders would plan a camping trip. Those of us that enjoyed camping would go and those of us who would rather stay home… were often eventually persuaded to give sleeping on the ground a try. It’s not that bad! Come on! Who doesn’t love getting food poisoning from tin foil chicken courdon bleu dinners and having rocks for pillows? That said, I would definitely categorize myself with the happy campers out there.

No, I’m not kidding.

Yes, I hope you’re chuckling a little. It’s true though. I love camping! I love everything about it…everything that is, except for the mosquitoes.

Back to my story…

So there we were, just a few of us youth, hanging out in the parking lot of the church with all of our gear when lo and behold I noticed that one of my friends had become target practice for a mosquito. My immediate thought: not on my watch! I didn’t think twice, just took aim and… It was only after I had finished saving my friend from that bloodthirsty mosquito that I realized I had just hit my friend smack dab in the middle of her forehead. Yep, there was my handprint as proof.

What happened next?

She looked at me like I was some kind of crazy person (understandable, I suppose) for a few seconds before saying something like “What in the world?” And the words that came out of my mouth were these: “You’re welcome.” Seriously, that is all I could think to say in that moment. In my mind, I had practically saved her life.

Side note.

Of course I apologized as well! I realize some of you reading this won’t know me sufficiently at this point to know I wouldn’t smack someone in the face without making amends. I’m happy to say she and I are still on good terms.

A thought.

Now, as I’ve pondered this story over the last couple of days, I realize there is a moral here. One of my goals for this blog is to share real life experiences that are not only funny and encourage us to laugh, but also thought provoking stories that invite us to be humble and turn to God.

“What in the world?” you ask? Well, I believe there is a moral to generally every story and here’s what I came up with for this one: Sometimes we might feel like life is smacking us around. We might even feel that God, our Heavenly Father, friend and confidant has done some of the smacking. In those moments, I invite all of us to seek to find a new perspective and try to consider the purpose of those figurative handprints on our foreheads. It was HIS SON who said, “I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands.” (Isaiah 49:16)

Perhaps whatever it is we’re going through is God’s way of saving our lives.