Anyone who knows me, knows I battle with mosquitoes. This is not a rare disease, but an affliction I’ve struggled with all of my life. It has kept me from participating in activities and from family outings, primarily around the 4th of July.

You’d think my blood was made of sugar the way the mosquitoes come out of no where to attack me and not the dozen other people gathered for a BBQ. Over the years I’ve done all the things. I’ve wiped myself down with dryer sheets, sprayed skin-so-soft head to toe, surrounded myself with citronella and sat near a campfire or a fan; they find me!

As a little girl, I used to think I was allergic to them because I’d swell up so badly. This is what caused me to start to sway away from outdoor activities. No flag football for me on a grassy field or sitting on a hillside watching fireworks; nope! I found once I was bit, I became obsessed with the itch and could only think about how I wasn’t going to itch...but it hurt so badly…and if I pinch it…or rub it…I’m really…not…itching it!

As an adult, I have come to understand that the mosquitoes are drawn to body heat and I tend to radiate heat. Once I realized this, it made more sense why when I lived in Arizona and California through elementary and middle school, I hated going outside, especially in the sun. I complained about it all the time, or at least that is my recollection. My high body temperature made me sensitive to the heat outside.

Though my battle with mosquitoes is a real thing, it doesn’t make me wish they were all dead and would never have been created. Well, maybe I have wished this, especially in the midst of a breakout. When my mind hasn’t been overtaken by mosquito brain (when I can only think of the bite(s) and itch), I can trust that if God created all things for a purpose. I can further trust the purpose of creating the mosquito was not to cause me great suffering.

When I spend time reflecting on creation, it is typically while I’m enjoying a sunrise or sunset or while I’m sitting on my patio or deck gazing at the trees. I do my best to be mindful of the landscape as I watch it pass by through the car window when we travel to explore beaches and mountains and lakes. I love to check in on the progression of flowers or vegetables growing in the garden and watching the seasons change into another. Each of these experiences causes me to take a deep breath and exhale expressing my gratitude for the complete mystery of how it was all created and how it works together for a purpose.

In the scheme of things, yes, a little pesky mosquito can cause me to falter. It’s my own personal David and Goliath battle, you can guess which one I am! However, I’ve found that with a little Benadryl I can dull the itch enough to ease my mind so I can still enjoy the outdoor activities and the shared memories with family and friends. Spending time in nature and outside has become one of my most favorite of all activities because when outside, I am one with nature, a natural part of God’s creation. We are one!