I think all of us like to think that we are generally good people. We like to believe that it would take something catastrophic to shake our faith. We even imagine that in those "big" moments we will rise up with an equally "big" response. Maybe that is why it seems so fitting that it was a servant girl that caused Peter so much trouble. She was not the high priest or a teacher of the law. She was more like a nagging mosquito that would not go away; the kind that just buzz around your ear when you are sitting by a fire trying to enjoy the evening. You swat at them but never hit them. You dodge, duck and change places but they keep pestering you. Peter denied her accusation and changed places as well; the nagging little girl found him again and started over. Eventually, Peter lost it.
Rarely am I confronted with major conflict that demands a "big" response in faith. I have never stood before a mob that wanted to kill me for my faith. I have rarely had to defend my understanding to a gathered crowd. But life seems to be filled with mosquito moments. A bad day when I can't seem to get anything done, a morning filled with computer glitches, an evening of high demands and low energy all are mosquito moments when my faith can wear thin. They seem to irritate their way under my faith skin and eventually cause a meltdown reaction.
Honestly, life is filled with many more mosquito moments than big challenges. My prayer is to have the wisdom to recognize them early and respond in appropriate ways rather than have a faith meltdown like Peter.
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