Eeeeekkkkk!

You know by now how I love to give you a clear mental picture of my stories. There is no turning back. The following story may may be one that you think…finally…she is human and made a mistake. (Not likely that that is the one you will choose.) OR you may think…okay, she is a freak. Stick with me to the end, or stop now. Lol!

My husband recently installed a new wood stove. Super excited for that. ‘Free heat’ he calls it. ‘Hard work’ is what I call it. Not complaining…just stating a simple, truthful fact. Anyway, a few weeks ago on a wonderfully gorgeous Sunday afternoon here in PA…we decided to go up to our woods and bring in some wood for the dreadful winter I keep hearing about. We live in the snow belt…why?! I have no words. Lol!

The kids and I were loading the truck with a stack of wood that my husband had made in the woods a few weeks ago. At one point I picked up a small log and uncovered…

 

Look up. It is on the trunk of the tree. What, you can’t see it? Let me get closer for you…

Look just below where my camera focused on the bark of the tree. It is a fuzzy brown blob.

A MOUSE! It was a mouse! I squealed at the thought of it almost touching my shoe. Things that make you go…*imagine me shivering as though completely grossed out here* From that point on, every time I came back to pick up another chunk of firewood…I would check to see if the mouse was still there. What I failed to realize, is that he might have friends.

 

Picture this. Place yourself in my mental story. (Okay…by mental I didn’t mean to imply that I am mental. Aw well…think what you must. ;)

You are carrying wood.

You are a mom so you are used to trying to make the least amount of trips as possible, no matter what the sacrifice. You can only load your arms so far…then you need another pair of hands.

That is where your 7 year old son can help. So he bends over (while you hold the stack of wood in your arms) to get more. And what to your wondering eyes should appear…he uncovers FOUR MORE MICE!

Much screaming…not from him…from you, the mother. They scatter and you don’t know which way to turn as if not to be scared by another. All of a sudden one crawls across your shoe.

More screaming. Then, one brave little mouse attempts to climb your pant leg.

At this point, flailing accompanies screaming. (Keep in mind…the stack of wood you are holding…and that 7 year old that is standing close by.) When the situation settles and that 7 year old is holding his face crying…one can only assume that he got hit in the face with the wood that the mother was once carrying.

Whew…glad that didn’t happen to me. *Nervously laughs as eyes shift to the floor and I stare intently and sheepishly at nothing.*

Soooo, my son was fine. And I recovered too after such a traumatic event. Thank you for your concern. ;)

 

Isn’t it funny that something so small can do so much damage. Just a cute little brown mouse…upset our whole afternoon. The once quiet woods were no longer. The once cheerful, beautiful, sunny, fall afternoon was now tainted with uncertainty. The face of a 7 year old was slightly bruised as a result of uncontrolled, ridiculously unnecessary fear?

Gossip…is a little brown mouse. Seems harmless…but can upset the calmest of Christians. No matter your physical strength, mental overpowers. The enemy whispers and you repeat. Once you’ve done it once, it is easier to do it again, and again. Ugh…the seemingly sweet brown face with it’s beady black eyes…are from the pits of hell.

Gossip! Just a few “innocent” words and yet…they destroy. Tear down. Frustrate. Divide. Mock. Worst of all they infuriate the Father! Oh how I hate to disappoint Him. We’ve all done it. You have that check in your spirit before you speak. You let the hurtful words spew forth anyway. What comes next is the same feeling that comes

Every

Stinkin’

Time!!

Guilt. You know you’ve sinned…and you wish you could take it back. Why does sinful nature have to temporarily feel so good?

That is all that the enemy has. Temporary. Everything he promises WILL fade. It will be short-lived. If you are looking for eternal promises, you must keep your eyes off of things that will rot or fade away. You must consciously choose to focus on things that Reign. Want to know something…it is not difficult. If you think it is…right now…you are falling into the scheme of the enemy.

Our fear of the enemy is ridiculously unnecessary. Really! He has no power over us. He is beneath. He is weak. We serve THE King of Kings. Our God is All-Knowing. All-Powerful. Omni-Present. Alpha. Omega. And He loves to see us finally get something we’ve been struggling with. Let’s set out to defeat gossip one Christian at a time! Go!!!

Proverbs 16:28 “A perverse man stirs up dissension, and a gossip separates close friends".”