Exodus 8. The Plague of Gnats.

Top 10 Normalities Here
1) Fireworks (without the fire) at 4:45am and throughout the day. Why? To wake ppl up to go to some Saint celebration
2) Gnats. Like billions of them. In and out my ears. In my sheets. On the toilet seat. Yep, everywhere.
3) Gallo Pinto. (Beans and Rice) Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
4) Donkey herds hanging in the streets.
5) I go to bed before 9:00pm every night.
6) Absolutely Beautiful People.
7) Spanish. Nope, don't know it too well. Yo necesito aprender.
8) Beautiful city. Granada is a Spanish city built in the 1500's. The buildings and tiles are awesome.
9) Hot weather. But I guess that's expected in a country like this. And I actually love the heat.
10) I've been on countless mission trips in and out of the jungle without ever seeing a snake. Words can't describe how freaked I was when I saw that wretchedly satanic animal yesterday.

The Third Plague: Gnats
16Then the LORD said to Moses, "Say to Aaron, 'Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the earth, so that it may become gnats in all the land of Egypt.'" 17And they did so. Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff and struck the dust of the earth, and there were gnats on man and beast. All the dust of the earth became gnats in all the land of Egypt. 18The magicians tried by their secret arts to produce gnats, but they could not. So there were gnats on man and beast. 19Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, "This is the finger of God." But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the LORD had said.
Exodus 8:16-19

This morning after breakfast I was laying in bed because I was sick to my stomach.
Problem (A): There were gnats EVERYWHERE. I don't know where they come from.
Problem (B): I was sick and didn't want to move. When you don't move, they think it's fun to camp out on your body.
Solution: Lay there and let them come.
Way to pass the time: Watch a spider the size of a nickel eat the gnats by the window.

Anyways, as I was trying to pass the time, I thought about the plague of gnats in Exodus and was trying to think of some kind of analogy that I could learn from. But I didn't really come up with one except that I was reminded of the promise of redemption. If anyone has something better to teach me about the gnats, I would be obliged to hear it.

During my meeting with Charles, my supervisor, he was talking to me about God's Blessing (singular) on his people and how we as Christians expect God to give us blessing(s) plural. God's blessing (singular) is simply this: Identity (in the family of God), Destiny (a future eternal home), Responsibility. I totally understand that. and I get it. But what I can't figure out is why Christians (myself included) can't understand that... why we as Christians think that we have the right to be blessed here on earth with blessings of physical quality: wealth, security, safety, honor, good looks, prestige etc... But that's not what God promised to us here. Read His promise to Abraham. Read Psalm 67. Yes, God shall bless us - but not that kind of blessing that American Christians expect. God has promised to save the nations. God has promised us identity in belonging to Him and He has given us a future destiny to look forward to. And he has given us a responsibility. And it's not a command but a mandate (command: an order/demand; mandate: a higher authority putting responsiblity/authority into another's hand). We are to disciple the nations. I think I understand this. And I know some great role models in my life who understand this as well. But why don't the majority of Christians understand this? Why do we think we deserve so much for ourselves? I'm not turning into some crazy hippy, I promise! But I just don't understand the purpose in serving myself anymore. I wish I could better share that understanding with all who I encounter... that's all...

Nicaragua is great and I'm learning a lot :-)

Peace