The boat ride on the Yukon was nothing but spectacular. Mountains of giant proportions, various groups of birds, and smooth, glistening water. At our first stop, pikes grabbed almost every lure that broke the surface. Fishing on the Yukon proved to be as magical as the views. After several breaks for fishing, we finally reached our picnic destination.

            When the boats bumped into the land, the mosquitoes were the welcoming party. Little sharp-beaked monsters lying in wait to devour our fresh, meaty skin—hundreds of them, just ambushing their helpless victims. We sprayed. Swatted. Moved. Ran. No matter what, those annoying bugs found us. Even through nets, shirts, and pants, they became the dominant creatures. 

            Once I sprayed down and situated the mesh covering over my hat, I perused my surroundings. Not one living creature in sight until we arrived on the shore. What were these mosquitoes eating? How were they surviving if they weren’t sucking blood from our tender flesh? The thought of their sustenance had never occurred to me. I had only ever seen them as a nuisance and creatures to avoid.

            It’s interesting how this mindset carries into our day-to-day lives. Everywhere we go there are people who seem to suck the life out of us. They poke, bite, and sting us every chance they get; and naturally we become acclimated to avoidance. We see those people coming and we run the other way.

But when was the last time we considered their sustenance? Their livelihood? What do they need to make the best living? To survive? To thrive?

            After a bit of research, I discovered that blood is only one of the foods mosquitoes devour. Plant sap, nectar, honeydew, and algae are also parts of their diets. They aren’t just bloodsucking pests—they actually need sweet sustenance too.

            The same applies to people. Not everyone is out for blood. While all we may see and feel are their sharp stings and bites, those people also need healthy sustenance just like us. They need encouragement, kindness, and friendship. Even if their stings seem to tell a different story.

            While we are in Alaska at Bible camp the next two weeks, I’m going to think about mosquitoes differently. And people too. When we look beyond the initial sting, we might just find someone in need of fresh, sweet sustenance.

            Let’s look beyond the sting this week. And maybe even offer a fresh dose of sustenance while we’re at it.