Sand Gnats, A Spiritual Lesson

   As I walked early this morning, noting that it was not too early for the bugs to come out, I wondered to myself why God made pesky insects. Around here we have sand gnats, or no-see-ums, which come out in profusion when the temperatures are right. Some people are really bothered by them, but I seem to have developed some immunity to their bites and do not seem bothered after the initial sharp puncture of the skin.

   I thought, as I got back home, that I would look for some references, somewhere, as to what good these small mites do in the world. Surely they were created for something other than a nuisance.

   All of this led me on another rabbit trail. Several years back, when we first moved south from Chattanooga, a "knowledgeable person" told me that the sand gnat did not actually bite, but just secreted an acidic compound that made it feel like a bite. Sounded good to me, so I have proceeded over the years to pass on my newfound expertise to many others that needed to be enlightened on that particular subject.

   So, when I started looking on the internet for any good property for the lowly gnat, all the articles talked about the sand gnat "bite". Did they actually bite, and had I been spreading false information all this time? Not one time did I see anything about that drop of acid on the skin, and now I began to get worried.

   Then I found this other blog and read:

    Sand gnats don't just puncture your skin like mosquitoes do. Instead they rip it open using sharp cutting teeth located on the mandible. After inserting two sharp, sword-like blades into the skin as anchors, the sand gnat uses the cutting teeth to rip up the skin and get the blood flowing. As if that weren't enough, the gnat then squirts a chemical into the open wound to inhibit blood clotting. The tiny pool of blood that forms is then sucked up through a straw-like structure called the proboscis. Some human victims have allergic reactions to the chemical and must endure itchy red spots or even swollen welts.

   Partial vindication...maybe there was something to that chemical reaction, at least it fit in with my early discovery. Looks like there was a biting involved but also a secretion.

   So, I had gotten away from my original quest to find something good about the sand gnat, but maybe I had learned something else in the process. Beware of spreading false or misleading information.

   At least in the case of the little pest, this information may not be life threatening, but what about more important things, even spiritual. Maybe there are at least two things that I should do.

1. check my sources

2. don't try to look good by sharing "new" information

   Or possibly another one: "Keep your mouth shut"

   Has to be a spiritual lesson in all of this somewhere, Right?

   Right!