By Jenna Ebener
A reflection
Lately, when I have been taking my dog for a walk, I come across swarms of gnats. I realized very quickly that swatting at them does nothing. Since they do not bite, there is no true harm; they are just annoying. The best thing to do is to keep walking because they will move away. The gnats remind me of the difficulties of life. So often, life feels like I am walking into a swarm of gnats. I often waste time standing still and trying to swat them away when, in reality, all I have to do is keep walking and trust God to take care of the rest.
For example, I felt like God was telling me it was finally time to go back to a therapy group that really helped me in the past. My therapist had been mentioning it every couple of months, but the timing did not feel right. Then, all of a sudden, I could feel God nudging me in that direction, so I took the necessary next steps to apply. Hurdles kept coming my way and, at one point, it looked like I might not meet the criteria to attend.
In the past, I would have spent a lot of time worrying and trying to figure out what I could do to change the leader’s mind. However, this time, I recognized quickly that I had done everything I could. All I could do was keep moving forward while trusting that God would clear the gnats out of my path since I felt so sure that he was telling me now is the time to go. I kept walking and, a few days later, God suddenly cleared all of the obstacles.
Life would be a lot easier without clouds of gnats in our way. Immediate approval to participate in the group would have been uplifting. If that had happened though, I would not have had the opportunity to trust in God’s timing. I also would not have gained more self-trust in my ability to listen to God.
Sometimes the clouds are not just gnats but actual things that could harm us, like wasps. Sometimes, the clouds follow us, like a swarm of pesky mosquitos. Yet, if we keep walking, we will eventually come out of the danger. What clouds of bugs are swarming you? What message are you telling yourself about the danger? Does it match reality? Can you trust God to clear the path as you keep on walking?
“He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart” (Psalm 91:4).
(Jenna Ebener, a graduate of St. Ambrose University in Davenport, is a social worker at a school in Colorado for students with a combination of medical, cognitive and behavior disabilities. She relies on God every day to aid her on this wonderful, yet intense journey.)
