Of Mice and Men

Our home is surrounded by fields. 

This means mice. In my house. Invading my security.

I hate mice. And I let them have too much control. If I hear one in the kitchen, then I sit paralyzed in the living room. If I'm unsure where they are but I know they're there then I will go outside. Yes, I let mice run me out of my own home. And recently I haven't slept well, because I wake up in the middle of the night and feel like they're in bed with us. It's a real problem.

Logically, I get it. They're little. They're hungry. They're scared of me. But that doesn't stop me from being terrified. And from letting them invade my haven. My safe place. My home.

Now, I am a clean person. I am obsessive about making sure our home is clean. But having mice has made me take it to a whole other level. I have bought plastic containers for all of our pantry-food. And I am so looking forward to completely cleaning out my pantry this weekend. Rubbing it down. Reorganizing. Cleaning any evidence of mice and trying my best to secure that the problem won't happen again...I'm a little too excited about this cleaning and reorganizing. I'm very Monica about it all (Friends). Very Martha about it all (the Bible). 

If the cleaning and organizing and dozen traps set in my kitchen don't get rid of the mice...my husband says we'll call an exterminator. 

As I sat down to write my blog about my fear of mice and my excitement to clean, I was reminded of God and life and sin. 

How many times do we let sin control our lives? Make us feel unsafe in our own home? Dictate our decisions and leave us paralyzed.? Sure. It starts out small. It climbs its way in through a little hole - one we didn't even notice. It stays hidden for a while - and you don't even realize when it begins to disrupt your life. Next thing you know you are in a ball on the couch, wanting it to go away but unsure of how to get rid of it...and unsure of how you got to this point. 

Maybe its time to clean out the pantry of your heart and mind (yes, i know it sounds stupid - but you get my point). Get rid of the sin. The temptation. The things that may cause you to stumble. The bonds that have you paralyzed. The chains that are keeping you from freedom. The addictions, abuses, memories, temptations, scars that are keeping you from feeling secure in your own home.

Getting rid of the filth and temptation and stumbling blocks - and guarding your heart - is important. But  it isn't enough. Sometimes the sins keep finding holes, weakness, crumbs of insecurity. We can try our best to safeguard our hearts and minds, but when it comes down to it - we need to start and end with a really good exterminator. And God is the only One Who is up for the job.

 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” 

For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone;  

but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by 

their own evil desire and enticed.  Then, after desire has conceived, 

it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

 James 1:13-15

 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, 

whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—

if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 

Philippians 4:8