Work has begun for Moses and Aaron. In the eighth chapter of Exodus we hear three stories of plagues that infect Egypt. In each plague, we see two stories of leadership: faithfulness and defiance. In our lives, we often toe the line between Moses/Aaron and Pharaoh. We must ask: How do we respond in times of crisis? Sometimes we are faithful, other times we are defiant. This story reminds us that our defiance - or pulling away - pains God, us, and those around us. But God does not desire our faithfulness just so we can avoid consequences; rather, God desires us to pull closer to Him ultimately so that we can experience a God's presence in-and-through the storms, and that others may see God’s loving character through our trials - even when our heart is torn and we pull away.