THE LITTLE MOUSE THAT COULDN'T
The other morning as I was about to let my dog back in, I discovered yet another little mouse who had fallen into my empty wooden planter. Unlike his unfortunate cohorts whom I had discovered long after they had perished, this little guy was running frantically to and fro in a desperate attempt to escape from his wet muddy prison cell.
Having just rescued some tadpoles from certain death and ever the animal advocate, I purposed to find a way to free the frightened little critter. Unfortunately, he was unaware of my intentions and became even more desperate, burying into the small pile of wet leaves, soon emerging even more soaked and soiled. Quickly considering the tools I might have at my disposal to effect such a rescue, I realized that the best equipment for the job was the dog pooper scooper. A spring loaded device which would open and close with the squeeze of my hand, I could simply scoop him up and out to safety....or so I thought. The mouse so it would seem, had other ideas. Frightened by the large black device looming over his head, he became more frantic in his efforts to escape. Back and forth he ran as he repeatedly tried and failed to escape by his own means. It was not until he finally tired himself out that I was able to capture him.
Tucked safely within the "hands" of the scooper, the little fella finally relaxed. When I released him back into the garden, he simply walked away. Of course, had I been willing to risk injuring him, the process would have taken far less time.
Reflecting upon this later on I realized that we are often like this little mouse, caught in a prison of our own folly or one inflicted upon us by others. Just as I knew how to best set the mouse free, how much more so does God? Often the troubled circumstances of our lives are simply God's way of attempting to set us free. He knows best how to accomplish this even when we don't understand. We run to and fro frantically trying to escape by our own devices, becoming increasingly more wet and muddied, battered and beaten, in the process. Perhaps God waits for us to tire ourselves out, to reach the end of our resources...for us to release our bitterness, unforgiveness, ungrateful ness or whatever else is holding us captive....before He finally reaches down and lifts us up from the mirey pit. Perhaps God knows that intervening with a heavy hand before we are sufficiently tired would injure us during our rescue, just as I would have injured my little mouse friend.
We as human beings, just as the little mouse that thought he could do it on his own, often do not know or understand God's intentions or His ways. The mouse misunderstood me because he did not know me or even have any prior knowledge that I existed. This lack of understanding on his part led not only to a lack of trust, but extreme terror. Unbeknownst to him, the easiest way to proceed would have been to hop into the scoop. Does this lack of understanding of God often affect us in a similar manner? I submit to you that it does. The quickest way to freedom is to relax and let God be God, to put my life in His hands and allow Him to lift me up and set my feet upon the Rock.
The key is to get to know God, for He says in in His Word " Draw near to Me and I will draw near to you.". How do we get to know Him? The same way we get to know any friend...quiet conversation. Talk to Him. He longs for it. The Creator of the universe who lacks nothing, for whom nothing is impossible yearns for the one thing that Man must give to him willingly....his fellowship.
My prayer for the day: Lord, help me to see you in every circumstance in my life, the good and the bad. Help me to draw near to You and to cooperate with all that You seek to do.
The moral of the story: if life's problems seem insurmountable, turn to God and jump into the scoop.
