Day 144 | Monday, 10 August 2020

Day 144 - Audio Version

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Day 144  |  Monday, 10 August 2020

The Church Mouse
“If you only look at us, you might well miss the brightness. We carry this precious Message around in the unadorned clay pots of our ordinary lives. That is to prevent anyone from confusing God’s incomparable power with us. As it is, there is not much chance of that. You know for yourselves that we are not much to look at. We’ve been surrounded and battered by troubles, but we’re not demoralized; we’re not sure what to do, but we know that God knows what to do; we’ve been spiritually terrorized, but God hasn’t left our side; we’ve been thrown down, but we haven’t broken.”

2 Corinthians 4: 7-9 (The Message)
I thought about this parable when the Rev. was barking like a dog to scare away the golden squirrel who comes frequently to ravage our woodpecker bar and anything else, he can get his furry paws on…he isn’t particular. Come to think of it, the Rev. does not care for rodents of any kind. Lately, he has been at war with a particular mole who is as accomplished a tunnel digger as a civil engineer. This will just not continue, according to my mild-mannered spouse. So, a few days ago, before 8:00 AM, we were in Home Depot purchasing. Let us just say, something to unite the mole with his maker. Usually, I have the backs of all God’s creatures. In this case…not so much.

I explain to my husband that the chipmunk that eats his radishes and green bean sprouts is only taking the 10 percent of the harvest we owe him for the right to live in his territory. The same goes with the deer nipping off some of our morning glories and my hibiscus buds…or the skunk that uproots my violets. Life is difficult for these small creatures, since they are not at the top of the food chain as we are.
Have you ever been driving and seen one of these small creatures’ dash from the side of the road into the path of the car in front of you? If they are lucky, almost in slow motion you will see them dash back and forth between the car’s wheels looking for any escape. I do not ever think you will find a better example of the word panic than what the little furry one does as it tries to avoid becoming roadkill.

Have you ever felt like that? It can be exceedingly difficult living in a world such as we have now. Words we might use to describe it are frenzied, hectic, pinging with anxiety, heavy with helplessness and exhaustion. We can become so overwhelmed with things that are so scary, things that make no sense to us at all that we might resemble that little creature trying to avoid those car wheels.

We must remember that God is in this boat with us. We cannot become distracted by those car wheels or it is curtains for us. It is so important to remember that true peace only comes from shifting our attention back to the One who can properly arrange our priorities and perspectives.

I read the following in my devotional recently:
“Dear Lord, help us see through eyes of faith beyond the circumstances that riddle our hearts with worry and indifference, or anxiety. Help us to see you, your love and glory that shines truth and hope into all our busyness and promises the sweet rest of your perfect peace. Amen” ----Pepper Basham