I don’t like mice.
It doesn’t matter if they are living or dead, I will screech at the sight of one and rapidly remove myself from the premises.
Small and harmless, though they may be, I’m fairly traumatized if one skitters across the floor.
Dead ones, though, are just gross.
All I can think of are the diseases they carry.
The list isn’t short and the names are long, so I won’t take up space (just google “diseases from rodents”).
So, of course, it has fallen to me to check our mouse traps this week, while my honey is on a ministry trip (a 10! day! trip!).
Each trap is set in the typical places where we seem to catch most of the field mice that try to sneak into our house.
Just to try to keep the little critters away from the traps, so I don’t have to deal with these diminutive monsters, I take extra precautions.
Every night before bed, I saturate the area around the traps with lots of peppermint oil (I’ve read that mice are repelled by the smell of peppermint).
In fact, the smell is so strong, I’m almost repelled by it.
When you walk into our house from outside, you can’t help but note that the odor reaches out and grabs your nose (maybe even shakes it a little) the minute you open the door.
I also bought one of those little sonic thingies you plug-in that are supposed to send mice scurrying.
I can assure you they don’t work.
All this to say, this morning when I checked the traps, there were two (!) dead mice and one sprung trap (I had three traps set).
You know what that means, right?
I had to dress in my brave-clothes (well, that, or a hazmat suit, which I don’t own, but am seriously contemplating purchasing).
After all, one never knows when the trap might accidentally release and throw said dead mouse onto your person…
Honestly it took me about an hour to muster up the courage, and I kept finding other things to do in order to procrastinate the actual act of disposal.
It didn’t get past me, however, that at the top of my to-do-list are written these words:
Do Hard Things First.
(just like that in a large red bold italic font)
The whole get-rid-of-the-dead-disease-carrying-creatures debacle might have made a humorous Tik-Tok video had I not been so horrified.
It was truly comedic.
But, y’all, I did the necessary deed, and even reset the traps.
?????
What does all this have to do with anything?
Getting there.
This morning before checking for mice, I happened to be reading through Colossians.
I got to chapter 3, and my husband’s favorite verse in the Bible:
Paul happens to be writing to slaves who are followers of Jesus, when he writes those words.
He’s actually saying to them, “Listen. Turn your slave-work into worship!”
“Do ALL your work, not to please your earthly master, but your heavenly Lord.”
As I read that this morning, I knew my to-do-list stretched across a couple pages, and knew this to be a sweet reminder to have a good attitude as I ticked things off throughout the day.
I even made myself a note, “Turn enchilada-making into a gift to God.”
Or, clean the pollen off the porch as if the Lord Himself will inspect when finished.
Well, enchiladas are one thing.
Mice are an entirely different deal.
BUT……..Paul said, “WHATEVER you do…”
WHATEVER…
That means dead-mice-disposal, as well.
Even that act could become an act of worship, if I made the right choice.
Here’s what I noticed as I began to muster the courage to carry away the dreaded (dead) fearsome creatures…
I prayed.
It started with “Lord, would you come and help….”
But, I couldn’t finish the prayer.
God’s already with me.
How many times do I do that…ask for His presence when He’s always present no matter where I am, or what I am called to do?
I didn’t have to appeal to Him to be with me to help me dispose of a dead mouse.
Yet, I, far too often, ask for His presence, when the Word of the Lord tells me He’s already given me that gift.
In big things and in small mouse-sized things, the Lord is with me…always at all times. He is ever near and ever here!
I just need to “practice coming into His presence,” even in the midst of mundane, sometimes yucky jobs, and make every action as unto the Lord.
This morning gave me a whole new take on a very familiar passage of Scripture.
And, it brought a whole new kind of brave…
…even peace amidst a yucky, less-than-desirable-job.
Smile.
