The Good Mosquito
Child: “But, mosquitoes are bad – why did God create mosquitoes?”
*surprised at this unexpected-but-genuine question by a toddler in Sunday school, the teacher was praying in her heart, asking God for wisdom to answer this question with a convincing-yet-truthful explanation*
Teacher: Do you always listen to your mom?
Child: Not Always!
*How honest!*
Teacher: Does that make you a good boy or a bad boy?
Child: I am a good boy! I don’t fight with my brother. He scratches me and beats me, but I only complain to my mum, without beating him.
*Okay, now who wants to be termed bad? Not me! :P*
Teacher: That’s really sweet of you! You are a good boy, indeed! Are there any other things which might make you a bad boy? – If mommy asks you to pick up the toys after play-time, do you pick them up or start whining?
*Hmm… teachers always know their children’s weakness.*
Child: My mum always asks me to pick up my toys, and I hate that activity. But next time, I’ll pick up my toys and put them in my cupboard.
*This one is too matured for such an answer as this.*
Teacher: Thanks for promising me that you will pick up your toys next time. But, as long as you don’t pick them up, you will be a bad boy, won’t you?
Child: Yes!
*convinced already! makes my job easier now… but wonder how*
Teacher: Now, do you think God made you a bad boy?
Child: No!
Teacher: Good! When God created everything, in the beginning, He looked at everything He created and said – It is GOOD! So, when God created you, He said – You are good!
Child: (very excitingly) Yes!
Teacher: But what makes us bad? Our disobedience and our inappropriate actions make us bad. We pick up bad character as we grow – Nobody taught us how to pinch/punch our sibling/neighbor – Still we developed it – we started becoming bad. But, God puts up with all our bad behavior, works on us and waits for us to become good, like Him.
When God created mosquitoes and everything else, He said – Everything is good! (now the everything includes mosquitoes as well.)
It is not God who created us bad, but it is our actions that make us bad. He gave us a choice – to do well and be good, or, to do evil and become bad. It’s our decision!
*looks convinced with the explanation*
Whether or not the child learnt a lesson that day, I got my take-away from that session.
A human tendency –
Developed from innocency,
Doesn’t lead to ecstasy –
But, leaves us in desperacy.
We usually tend to blame God for everything that happens to or around us, without realizing the fact that it happened because of the choices we made in the past.
P.S: You might ask me if mosquitoes became bad when they started biting us, or if they haven’t bitten Adam and Eve at all – I have no idea! I cannot question God’s creation. All I can do is believe that He made everything good!
** Dedicated to all the teachers who receive endless challenging questions. Thanks to your dedication in shaping bright futures. **
Please let me know in the comments below, if you have a better way of answering this question – I would love to know!
PC: CLXVI
7 Comments
Sarah
Beautifully explained!!
Flosha
Thank you!! 😊❤️
Shalem
Nice one Ruth, I also got my takeaway from this.
Flosha
Thank you, Anna. I’m glad you got a take-away ☺️
SAVAN
Good one akka 🙂
I think it shows as an example “when a mosquito bites it pains alot even though it is so tiny, and it irritates us. In the same way, we think we do only a small sin but it gives a lot of pain to God.” I think He created them to show us even little sin gives a lot of pain.
Flosha
That’s a good thought too, Savan.
True that we categorise sins into small and big but every sin (say, disobedience) causes Him pain.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. ☺️