Recently, I had a conversation with my Uncle Nanny about my great-grandfather’s house. I’ve done all the foot work, I’ve communicated with the family, and I know — I know — that God has told me this house is mine. “Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you” (Joshua 1:3). But Uncle Nanny decided to test me. He said, “I can choose not to sign, and you won’t get this house.” That was my mosquito moment — the buzzing in my ear, the temptation to react in frustration.

 

Uncle Robert didn’t stop there. He questioned my intentions, asked if I had talked to the cousins, and even set conditions for what I could and couldn’t do with the house. It was as if he was looking for a way to hold control over the situation. But in that moment, I chose not to swat at the mosquito. Instead, I remembered God’s promises:

• “What God has blessed, no man can curse; and what God has cursed, no man can bless” (Numbers 23:8).

• “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still”(Exodus 14:14).

 

I stayed calm, spoke in love, and trusted that God’s plan was greater than any resistance.

 

Why We Need Mosquitoes

 

As frustrating as Uncle Nannys behavior was, I realized something important: we need people like him in our lives. Just as mosquitoes play a role in the environment, “mosquito people” serve a purpose in our spiritual growth. They:

1. Reveal Our Weak Spots – Mosquitoes bite where we’re exposed, and so do challenging people. They expose areas in our hearts that still need work — patience, humility, or even forgiveness.

2. Teach Us Self-Control – The buzzing irritation of a mosquito reminds us to pause and think. In the same way, difficult people give us opportunities to practice self-control. “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry” (James 1:19).

3. Strengthen Our Faith – Dealing with “mosquito people” reminds us to lean on God for strength. It’s in those moments of challenge that we grow closer to Him. “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance” (James 1:2-3).

 

Jesus and the Mosquito

 

There’s a song that’s been on my heart lately:

 

Jesus said if you go, I’ll go with you,

Open up your mouth, I’ll speak for you.

Lord, if I go, tell me what to say;

They won’t believe in me.

 

This song reminds me that even when we feel overwhelmed by life’s challenges — or life’s mosquitoes — Jesus is with us. Just as He promised Moses, “Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say” (Exodus 4:12). The same God who helped Moses face Pharaoh is the same God who equips us to handle our Uncle Nannys.

 

Standing on God’s Promises

 

Here’s what I know for sure: what God has for me is for me. Uncle Nanny may buzz in my ear, but he can’t stop what God has already blessed. As the Word says:

• “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31).

• “The plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of His heart through all generations” (Psalm 33:11).

 

Uncle Nanny’s resistance, while frustrating, is just a reminder of the enemy’s attempts to stir doubt. But as Isaiah 59:19 says, “When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him.”

 

The Blessing of the Mosquito

 

So now, when I think about Uncle Nanny, I don’t see him as just an annoyance. I see him as a tool God is using to refine me. Like a mosquito, he helps me pause, reflect, and grow. His questions and resistance have given me the opportunity to stand firm in God’s promises, to practice grace, and to trust that His blessings are unshakable.