Quiet as a mouse...

Last summer I moved into a small rental house. I had just taken a new job and wanted to get my feet on the ground in my new community. My house is small. It was built in 1949 and is nothing fancy, but it fit my needs. As I was cleaning the closet in my bedroom, I climbed up a step ladder to reach the top shelf. That is when I saw it! An uninvited visitor had left a calling card on my shelf, several small black 'calling cards' to be exact. I didn't see the culprit, and I didn't want to either. OH NO!!! I was not going to share my closet with anyone. I immediately called my sisters to share the dreadful news (misery loves company you know). I said, "Guess what was in my closet? The thing of which we do not speak!". Having grown up on a farm in the country, I was very familiar with mice who felt they could run around the house. But it had been a long time since I lived at home on the farm and I was no longer accustomed to rodent roommates. I quickly devised a plan of attack.

The most successful battle plans involve learning about your enemy. Did you know a mouse can squeeze through a hole 17.5 mm in diameter? That is slightly smaller than a dime-sized hole. How can an adult mouse wiggle through such a small hole? Well, a couple of points I discovered: 1. Mice have a lot of hair. If you shaved off their hair (I would never do this), you would see mice have a very small body. 2. Mice do not have collarbones. Did you ever see a mouse with broad shoulders? I didn't think so. Anyway, enough mice facts. Suffice to say, mice are sneaky little devils that can make their way into your home in areas where you would least expect it.

I decided the best plan was to limit any points of entry for the furry, little intruders. I made a trip to a local hardware store and purchased two cans of expanding spray foam. My bedroom closet had noticeable gaps running from the ceiling to the floor. Let me just say, when I got finished with my cans of foam, there were no gaps left in my closet. A skinny mosquito couldn't have flown through the foam-sealed seam. I was quite satisfied with myself! The job was not that aesthetically pleasing, but as long as it kept the you-know-what out of my closet, appearances were not that important. Finally, I could place my clothes and shoes in my closet without fear of encountering a pest.

Operation Expanding Foam seemed to work great and I reveled in the knowledge that my closet was secured. I moved happily through the summer and into the fall. My landlords suggested I place some mouse deterrent (aka poison) in strategic areas around my home in anticipation of cooler weather. I wasn't worried at all. My closet was secured and I had not seen evidence of any mouse intrusion in other parts of my house. However, to appease my landlords, I agreed to place the small, green rectangular blocks in areas which mice might find attractive. I put a couple in a high cupboard next to the attic crawl space, one in my enclosed back porch, one under my kitchen sink and one in the cabinet over my washing machine. After placing the poison blocks, I never gave them much thought. Oh, I would occasionally notice the one on my back porch or the one in my laundry room cabinet, but the blocks remained undisturbed for months. And then it happened..... I opened the laundry cabinet to get my detergent and noticed the little green block was not so rectangular anymore. In fact, it was not sitting in the space it had occupied for months! The edges of the block were chewed off, whittled unmercifully by tiny, rodent teeth. And....you guessed it....little, black 'calling cards' were all over my laundry cabinet shelf. Thankfully, the untidy visitor had left the building. I did not see him in action. I cleaned everything up and took a closer look at possible entry points. That's when I noticed the area around an old outlet. Some previous tenant had covered an opening with duct tape and the tape was no longer doing the job. I wasn't sure my foam trick would work as well on this problem, so I decided to stuff steel wool in every possible crack. Any mouse would have to gnaw their way through layers of steel to get back in!

I wish I could report that I never had another rodent incident But alas, another crafty mouse did manage to make one more appearance in my laundry room cabinet. Just as with the first episode, I noticed the green block had been moved and dined upon. I added some extra steel wool and, thankfully, I have seen no further evidence of intrusion.

I wanted to share my mouse dilemma because I think we can apply it to our Christian walk. What does this story have to do with my Christian life? Bear with me.... I started thinking about this while listening to a sermon by Steven Furtick, pastor of Elevation Church. You know how sometimes you hear one line that seems to stick in your head? Well, Pastor Furtick said, "The part of your heart you don't give God becomes enemy territory". That line really grabbed me. It reminded me of a verse about giving the devil an opportunity. Ephesians 4:27 says, "Leave no [such] room or foothold for the devil [give no opportunity to him] (Amplified Bible). Now, the previous verse, Ephesians 4:26, is warning against letting the sun go down while you're angry, as this could allow the devil an opportunity (verse 27). Even though this admonition is about anger, I believe it is a great reminder that our enemy, our adversary, is constantly looking for an entry point to attack. A foothold is a place where a person can lodge their foot to support themselves. But another definition of foothold is a "secure position from which further progress may be made" (Oxford Dictionary, 2020).

In my battle against the mouse, I felt certain I had secured my territory. I had seen a problem, I had assessed the damage, I had made a plan, and I had executed my strategy! Yet, I failed to recognize a vital break in my protective perimeter. How many times do I approach my Christian walk with such an I-centered mentality? How many times have I been cruising along thinking I had everything under control without realizing there was a gaping hole in my defenses? Just because I didn't see signs of a mouse invasion on a daily basis did not mean the mouse was not planning to return! Mice are sneaky, quiet and opportunistic. And so is our enemy. If a mouse made a lot of noise trying to come into my house it would have been easy to stop the problem in its tracks. But just as a thief doesn't announce himself as he is sneaking through your window, so our enemy tries to sneak quietly into our lives every chance he gets. Mice can be destructive. Fortunately, I have not seen any further evidence of damage. However, our enemy always comes to bring us damage. John 10:10a (CJB) reminds us that the thief (the devil) comes only in order to steal, kill and destroy. The enemy is not content with making a brief appearance and then rushing away. Steal, kill and destroy!! Those are serious battle plans. I don't know about you, but I want to be sure God has all of me. I don't want any part of my heart or life to become enemy territory. Rather than take an I-centered approach to defeating the enemy, I must learn to turn everything over to the Lord.The second half of John 10:10 is the key God gives us to defeat the enemy. Here is the entire verse: "The thief comes only in order to steal, kill and destroy: I have come so that they may have life, life in its fullest measure" (CJB). The perfect answer to foil the enemy's plans. The enemy cannot reside in God-claimed territory!

I challenge you...ask God to take a close look and show you any holes that need to be addressed to keep the enemy at bay. I know I am asking Him that very thing. Keep listening...

What's your plan?

Benjamin Franklin is credited with the quote "If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail". I have heard this applied to many settings and I have referred to it often in my own life. My full-time grown up job is practicing as a nurse anesthetist (CRNA). I have been a CRNA for over thirty-one years. As you can imagine, I have witnessed many changes throughout my career. One thing in particular has remained the same. For the safety of your patient, and the sanity of the anesthesia provider, you must always strive to be prepared. For example, before surgery I make sure my anesthesia machine is working properly by completing a checklist, sort of like a pre-flight checklist pilots use before take-off. Even if I am planning on using mild sedation or a spinal anesthetic, I must always be prepared in the event I need to administer a general anesthetic. I could come up with endless examples of how we all strive to be prepared in our daily lives. You don't wait to buy toilet paper until you run out, you don't wait to buy gas until you are stranded on the side of the road, you don't wait to buy supplies for your child's school project the night before it is due.....well, disregard that last example but you get my drift. Planning, being prepared, is an integral part of being successful. When you are in the middle of a storm is not the time to discover you are woefully unprepared! I put lots of effort into being prepared in my natural life, but how much preparation do I devote to my spiritual life? Probably less than I should.....

I grew up in church. Some of my earliest memories are of setting in a Sunday school class and listening to the teacher share Bible stories. Many of you are not old enough to be familiar with something called a felt board. But when I was little, the felt board was state of the art! It was exactly as described.....a soft, felt covered board (often on an easel). The teacher would cut, or punch, out figures to illustrate the lesson. These figures would attach to the felt board and stay where the teacher placed them. You could move them around the board as the story progressed. It sounds a bit lame as I'm describing it, but at the time I loved those characters the teacher placed on that felt because they helped the lesson come alive! As I was reading this week in Ephesians, I vividly recalled a felt board scene involving a Roman soldier. I can almost see the teacher placing the soldier on her board and slowly adding each piece of the soldier's equipment as we learned about the Armor of God. A description of the armor is found in Ephesians 6:11-17. The Bible tells us that we are engaged in spiritual warfare. But, not to be alarmed! We have been provided with the proper equipment to "stand against the deceptive tactics of the Adversary"(Eph. 6:11b, CJB). What a comfort to know that God has provided us with everything we need! So I thought I would look at the different pieces of armor and weaponry provided by the Commander of Heaven's armies.

The Helmet of Salvation

I am a big proponent of helmets. When I see someone riding their bike or motorcycle without a helmet, the first thing I think of is brain injury. I can't help it....I have worked too many years in health care. I know the value of a good helmet. But this helmet......this helmet is priceless. The helmet of salvation. My Complete Jewish Bible describes it as the helmet of deliverance. Salvation brings us into right relationship with God through deliverance from sin. For our part, the act of salvation is simple. Romans 10:9 tells us that if you "confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved"(KJV). I was raised with the King James Version of the Bible. The old English language may sound strange today, but the meaning of the verse from Romans is easy to understand.The mind-blowing part of salvation is more complex. The idea that Jesus gave his perfect life to pay my debt of sin is an idea that must be accepted on faith alone, because it does not make sense. It is not logical. It is a gift from God. It is solely by God's grace and mercy extended toward us that we may don the helmet of salvation.

The Breastplate of Righteousness

During the time of the disciples, picturing the uniform of a Roman soldier would have been easy. In our world a soldier's gear is very different but we can look at images of a Roman soldier and see how each piece of his attire can relate to our Christian walk. Picture a breastplate. It covers the chest and provides protection for the vital organs of the body. Our very heart, our core, is covered with righteousness. The word righteousness is defined as being ethically and morally just or rightful (dictionary.com, 2020). In Biblical terms, righteousness is an attribute that belongs to God and therefore we are unable to attain righteousness on our own. So how is it that we are allowed to put on the breastplate of righteousness? The answer is found in 2 Corinthians 5:21, "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him (Jesus)" (KJV). Maybe you should read that last verse again. I know I have to read it, re-read it, meditate on it and ask God to help me accept the truth contained in that scripture. Another translation says it this way, "God made this sinless man be a sin offering on our behalf, so that in union with him we might fully share in God's righteousness" (CJB). The breastplate of righteousness is not based on how 'ethically and morally just or rightful' I am. It is not based on anything I can do. We are privileged to put on the righteousness of God because of what Jesus did for us. I am the righteousness of God through Christ Jesus! Can I get an AMEN!

The Belt of Truth

Okay... we have our helmet securely in place and our breastplate fastened over our heart. Now it is time to put on the belt of truth. When I thought of a belt I first considered its purpose. A belt holds things together, it keeps everything in place. Why do we have a belt of truth? Why not a belt of hope, or strength, or any number of other descriptors? I am not sure....but I think it has something to do with Jesus. That was an easy guess because the whole Bible has something to do with Jesus. But specifically, the belt reminds me of Jesus's words in John 14:6, "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth and the life, no man cometh unto the Father but by me" (KJV). If Jesus is the truth, then wearing the belt of truth keeps us surrounded by Jesus! The truth (Jesus) keeps everything together....it holds everything up! What a wonderful image to know that wherever we go Jesus is all around us. We come to the Father through Jesus, the Truth. Hebrews 13:5 reminds us that Jesus will never leave us or forsake us. If I make sure to clothe myself with the belt of truth I can rest assured Jesus is there, too.

The Shoes of the Gospel

Anyone that knows me will know I have a shoe issue. My issue is....I have no issue with shoes at all! I love shoes: heels, flats, sandals, boots, tennis shoes....yes, yes and yes. I do not discriminate in my shoe obsession. However, no shoes in my closet can compare to these. My Complete Jewish Bible says, "wear on your feet the readiness that comes from the Good News of shalom". My cherished King James Bible states you are to have "your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace". The word gospel is derived from Old English and literally means Good News. The Hebrew word shalom expresses much more than what I normally think when I hear the word peace. Shalom does mean peace, but also wholeness, completeness, harmony and prosperity. As I visualize these shoes, I think about another scripture regarding the word of the Lord being a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path (Psalm 119:105, KJV). So if we are walking with the shoes of the gospel (the word) is it any wonder our way will be easier to see? Our path will be well lit? There have been many times I felt I was stumbling along down my own dark path. Why didn't I have on my gospel shoes? I must have slipped into a pair of my own shoes rather than the pair my Lord had provided for me. Or perhaps I was barefoot.....you never know what you might step on if you forget your shoes, so be sure you are wearing proper footwear. These wonderful shoes are always the perfect fit.

The Sword of the Spirit

Have you ever watched the television show "Forged in Fire"? That show comes to mind when I imagine a sword. Some of the knives they craft on that show are very intimidating! These are serious weapons that can cut through large objects as easily as a table knife cuts through butter. A sword is an offensive weapon. Up to this point, the soldier's equipment had been items worn on the body. The sword is something you must pick up or it is not of any use to you. Just what is this sword? Ephesians 6:17 tells us the sword of the Spirit is the "Word of God"(KJV). The scriptures concerning the gospel shoes talked about preparation or readiness regarding the Good News. Those scriptures imply the importance of being familiar with the Word...and that requires effort. Just as it requires action to pick up a physical sword, so it requires action to 'pick up' the Word when we need an offensive weapon to defend against 'the tactics of the Adversary'. You wouldn't want to reach for your sword only to discover you knew nothing about the Word of God! I'm not saying we have to know chapters and chapters of scripture, although there is certainly nothing wrong with that goal. But use the Word you know. It may only be one scripture....most people are familiar with John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life" (KJV). God's Word is powerful and you probably know more than you realize. Make a plan to learn more through reading and listening to scripture. Just as a soldier would carefully maintain his weapon, so too we must maintain our weapon through consistent time in the Word. Sharpen your sword!

The Shield of Faith

Lastly, we have the shield of faith. I saved this for last because Ephesians 6:16 says, "Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith you shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked"(KJV). Now we are talking defense!! Just like the sword, a shield is something you must carry. The Bible says...above all take your shield of faith. I was wondering about that when it occurred to me you must have faith before you can have any of the other weapons. Faith is required for salvation, "For by grace ye are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God" (Eph. 2:8). Before we could even put on the helmet of salvation, we had to have faith. It takes faith to believe that we are the righteousness of God through Christ Jesus. It takes faith to believe that Jesus is always with us, surrounding us with his truth. It takes faith to walk the path with Christ, "For we walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Corinthians 5:7, KJV). It takes faith to wield the sword of the Spirit, "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God"(Romans 10:17, KJV). Faith is the piece that connects all the other pieces of the armor. Sometimes I have felt like I had faith to move a mountain! Other times I seemed to have no faith at all. Have you been there? The good news is God has given to every man "the measure of faith" (Romans 12:3, KJV). I'm not sure how much faith is in 'the measure of faith', but in Matthew 17:20 Jesus says, "Yes! I tell you that if you have trust as tiny as a mustard seed, you will be able to say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there!' and it will move; indeed, nothing will be impossible for you!" (CJB). Praise God! A little faith goes a long way....but you have got to pick up your shield of faith and carry it with you.

I am sure there have been tons of material written on the Armor of God. I am not a Bible scholar nor do I have a degree in theology. My blog is intended to share thoughts and questions I encounter in my study of the Word, and I have much to learn. In the midst of the current pandemic, many people are concerned with having the proper Personal Protection Equipment (PPE). In my field I am required to wear proper PPE while caring for my patients. As I read about the Armor of God, it occurred to me that PPE was a concept God was very familiar with. He loves us so much...He doesn't want us to fight our battles without the proper equipment. God leaves nothing to chance, no stone unturned in showing His great love and care for His children. So if you are facing a battle in your life, picture yourself putting on your Heavenly Armor, piece by piece.Your armor is tailor made for you. It's just the right size and provides perfect protection. So suit up!!! Then stand........

Be prepared and prepare to win!

"So take up every piece of war equipment God provides, so that when the evil day comes, you will be able to resist, and when the battle is won, you will still be standing. Therefore stand!" (Ephesians 6:13-14, CJB)

The Pottery Shop

A year ago I moved to a small town in Missouri. It's a lovely small town situated right on the banks of the Mississippi River. I came to this town after accepting a position at the local hospital. I had never been in this part of Missouri before coming for my interview. I have lived in many places across the United States so I am familiar with being in unfamiliar surroundings. My sisters came to visit and help me get settled into my house. After hours of unpacking, we decided to head downtown and do a bit of exploring. To our delight, we stumbled across a pottery shop. The shelves were lined with beautiful objects. It was obvious that the pottery was created by an artist. An even better surprise was learning that the pottery was made on location! Customers could look through an open door or windows to catch a glimpse of the potter throwing clay in his workshop at the back of the store. What great care must a potter take to fashion a beautiful, useful object out of a lump of clay! It's no wonder the potter knows each piece intimately. I'd like to share a little story about another pottery shop...

Many years ago a potter was diligently at work creating a special vase. When the potter finished his masterpiece, he lovingly placed it on a shelf in his shop. The vase was beautiful, perfect and flawless. As with all the potter's pieces, it was also one of a kind, unique and made for a specific purpose. As the years rolled by, the little vase saw many things. The shop was a busy place with people coming and going. Sometimes it seemed like the potter had forgotten her, but he was always nearby. The potter cared deeply about the vase and always had his eye on her. On more than one occasion, something dreadful happened to the little vase. She had been knocked off her shelf more than once. Each time the potter would pick her up, brush her off and return her to her rightful place. The little vase was aware that each dreadful incident changed her. A scratch here, a chip there. Once she was sure her time was finished as she felt a deep break running the length of her being. She was so broken, so marred by cracks and crevices. With so many scars and flaws, how could she stay together? How could she stay in one piece? And what good was a vase so full of cracks and holes? The little vase had been on her shelf for many years. She had to admit it was kind of dusty, maybe even a bit dirty. But, it was her shelf. She was used to the dirt....she was uncomfortably , comfortable there. One day the little vase noticed that the potter had set a mirror on a shelf across the room. The vase noticed that when the potter looked in the mirror his loving reflection stared back. She liked seeing his reflection from across the room, but each time she saw it she felt so sad that she, his beautiful creation, had become such a broken, battered mess of a vase. Then one day the potter picked the vase up from her shelf. She thought he was just cleaning her off as he had done many times before. But this time was different! He was carrying her to the shelf by the mirror. The little vase saw her reflection in the potter's mirror and began to weep (as only a vase can do). She thought, "What an ugly vase I've become! If only those dreadful things hadn't happened to me. Who would ever want a useless, scarred vase like me? I'm so ashamed to have my potter see me this way.". The little vase had never felt worse. If only the potter could start over and make her again! The sad little vase sat on the shelf, trying not to see her tattered image in the potter's mirror. Then one day something unbelievable happened. There was a raging storm all around the pottery shop. The little vase was terrified! "Not again! I can't make it through another dreadful event! I am so weak.....I don't want to fall again!!! Potter, please help me!!!" Before she had finished speaking, she heard the potter beside her. He gently scooped her up, placed a candle inside the little vase and watched lovingly as light began to seep through every crack, crevice and broken bit The little vase was overwhelmed by the warmth and beauty of the potter's light. The vase looked into the potter's mirror....What! How could it be? What had happened??? What was once an ugly reflection now glowed with beautiful light! She smiled (as only a vase can do) as she saw the potter's smiling face staring at her from his mirror.

As you may have guessed, I am the little vase. Can you relate to parts of her story? If you've read my "About Me" section you know that I claim to have been a believer since I was a child. The purpose of my blog is not to debate theology, but rather to share things on my heart..things that I feel God has been teaching me. I know I had a distinctive encounter with Christ as a little girl. I can remember the church service, the dress I was wearing and walking up the aisle when the pastor asked if anyone wanted to make a decision to give their life to Christ. I also know that Christ has been near me throughout my life, regardless of my failures, flaws and dreadful incidents. I have many scars, many things that created a crack, chip or break: feelings of abandonment by a parent (crack), feelings of failure due to personal choices (crack), failed marriage (crack), rejection by someone you love (crack), problems with your children (crack), physical, sexual and verbal abuse (crack), another marriage failure (crack), financial ruin (crack), destroyed self-esteem (crack), feelings of never being quite enough (crack), the sense of 'who would ever want me' (crack).......Do you get the picture? And that is not an all-inclusive list! The things that created the cracks and scars in my life are different than those you may recognize. We all carry a pattern of scars as unique as our fingerprint or our DNA. Regardless of what caused the scars, the brokenness is REAL.

About eighteen months ago, I found myself in another raging storm. I was so broken, a complete wreck. Like always, I knew Jesus was near, but this time when I began to cry out for help I knew things had to change. Throughout my life, especially as an adult, I have always felt like I had to fix things. If I could be good enough, nice enough....if I would just compromise here or there....anything to keep the peace. Anything to feel loved and wanted. As the latest storm was ravaging my life, I could almost hear (as only a heart can do) Jesus asking me to finally go all in...100%. You have to understand...I had been in 50%, 75%, maybe even 90%, always wavering just short of the mark. But I had never truly trusted enough to completely let go. Like the vase, I was uncomfortably, comfortable on my dusty little shelf. If you have been hurt, deeply hurt, it can be hard to trust....even hard to trust the One who made you. Well........Jesus never disappoints!!! Since I agreed to give Him my all (complete surrender), Jesus has been allowing His light to illuminate and warm the corners of my battered and broken being. Slowly, but surely, His light is starting to penetrate the cracks and crevices left behind by my poor choices, the poor choices of others and life in general. You may be asking if a Christ-surrendered life means I will not experience more falls or failures resulting in new cracks and scars? The truth is a life surrendered to Christ does not mean life is all roses. Life is hard and people are people. But, I have an assurance that Jesus is with me, whatever I face. Who could know me better or love me more than the One who created me? I'm learning that only when His light is shining THROUGH me can I begin to see His reflection when I look in the mirror. As more light pours out, it provides light to those around me and, hopefully, points them toward the Potter.

So let me ask you....are you a broken, battered vase? If so, I know a Potter that can help and His specialty is turning broken things into beautiful, useful objects. You are not forgotten....

"I will praise thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well". Psalm 139:14 KJV

"...Behold , as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in mine hand". Jeremiah 18:6 KJV