DUN DUN DUN!!!!! So, the unspeakable happened this past week… we got BED BUGS! First of all before I explain I just want to know when Noah was bringing them onto the ark 2 by 2 why he had to bring 2 bed bugs??? I mean that could have definitely been avoided. Him and I will have to chat about it in Heaven one day.
Anyways! So, yes we arrived to Malaysia at the beginning of this month. Malaysia is beautiful! It is so diverse and rich with culture and life. We are getting the honor to work with a center that feeds the homeless and provides them with a place to come to and receive love and truth. I’ve been getting to cook in the kitchen and learn how to make some of the local food! So, that has been a blast truly. However, when we arrived the first night we were all, as a squad, in our hostel we found bed bugs!!!!!!
I’m not joking you I woke up to them crawling on my legs and arms and honestly said a few colorful words and got out of there immediately! So, we moved hostels because GROSS. As some of you may know that bed bugs like to get into your stuff and go with you. I don’t know why they like you so much, but they do…Anyways so fast forward a few days I wake up COVERED I mean COVERED in bites. All over my legs, arms, stomach, back, even some on my face (WHICH EWWWW). And if you know me at all you know I am highly OCD about my skin care. So, I was flipping out.
We take all our stuff to the laundry mat for the 3rd time and wash and dry everything. I mean everything. I’d like to say the joy of the lord was my strength in that moment, but it was not. I was having an adult temper tantrum and wanted to throw all my stuff into the road. But Jesus flipped tables so I didn’t feel so bad about being that mad. lol jk.
We then moved AGAIN. To a new place and I have been medicating hoping these bites will disappear PLEASE GOD. But after it all took place I realized there is something to learn from this.
Bed bugs like to hide in dark crevices. They only come out at night or when it’s dark and you’re asleep. You cant feel them when they bite you because they have these little things on their mouths that prevent you from feeling it (so they can eat you longer!!!) GROSS. I’ve done a lot of research obviously. They can live in places for up to a year without feeding on anything, and when they bite you sometimes the bites don’t appear for 6 days to 2 weeks.
The only way to get rid of them is to wash everything and put your stuff through the highest heat. Or to just THROW EVERYTHING AWAY AND MOVE TO ANOTHER COUNTRY. haha. No but seriously it made me think of my own life. How sin, offenses, bitterness, wrong thought patterns, negativity can so easily hide away in my life. How I can not even realize that these things are festering in my life because I don’t see them and I don’t always feel them. Either because I have grown callused to those things, or because I haven’t shined the light on them. It was only when I turned the light on I could see all the bed bugs.
In Hebrews 12:1 it says “lay aside every weight, and sin which clings closely to us.” Sin and offenses and bitterness all of that likes to cling closely to you and stay in the dark so that you can’t see how much it is festering and growing. As children of God we have to stop living as illegitimate children and start living as sons and daughters. The discipline of the Lord comes on His sons and daughters. So, feeling convicted is just the Father disciplining you which should bring you joy because you know you’re a son and a daughter through that. We need to allow those hidden things to be brought to light. To CONFESS our sins and offenses to one another and SHINE LIGHT ON THEM. We need to bring all our mess to the light so that we can see what is causing these “bites” to show up all over us.
We need to bring these things to light and allow them to go through the highest heat. It says in Hebrews 12:29 that “our God is a consuming fire”. We need to let God consume us so that there will be no more traces of sin, offense, bitterness or negativity. We have to stop hiding stuff and thinking its easier if it’s left in the dark, because truth is bed bugs just grow and multiply if left in the dark and left untreated. That’s the same with sin and offense and bitterness. Let’s challenge each other as brothers and sisters to bring our mess into the light and allow the consuming fire of who God is to consume us. Let’s call each other higher to a higher way of living.
Cause we are meant to live in the light as He is in the light, because we are now light because the light of the world dwells in us. It’s better to live in the light with all your mess than sweep things under the rug, because you’re just going to keep tripping over the rug cause stuff is under it you know.
MORAL OF THE STORY. BED BUGS ARE DISGUSTING. THEIR BITES ARE ITCHY (I literally wanted to rip my skin off) SHED LIGHT AND CONFESS YOUR SINS AND YOUR MESS. NO ONE HAS THEIR LIFE TOGETHER WE ARE ALL JUST ON THIS JOURNEY TOGETHER! Don’t be afraid to be open and honest with people.
Liv
