"On the Edge"....

Lady Gaga recently had a song about being "on the edge" of glory. I have at other times heard people make the comment about being on "the edge" of greatness. Recently I have found myself being "on the edge" as well; however, greatness & glory do not fit my scenario. 

As a mom & wife, most of us women strive to keep our homes clean & organized. We feel accomplished if our children are dressed & clean. We take pride in a meal that everyone considers a success. We feel pleased when our husbands are happy & look at us as though we are their reason for living & behind those sweet eyes we know that they understand that they could NOT survive without us! *smile* (we know it's true!)

But what is something that can mess up all of that perfection? What messes up our moments of tranquility? Those moments when our reality is quickly brought to a screeching halt! When something enters that is unwanted! An intruder...

Intruders can take on different forms. 

I will introduce you to the reason that this mom is indeed... "On the Edge!"

Meet our intruder...

Yes folks... we have mice!

I would like to say that we have only 1 & that we just caught & disposed of it... but that would unfortunately be a lie. Honestly, I have no idea how many there actually are. They are small & have a way of creeping in when you least expect it!

They look for any possible crevice to enter & make no qualms about where they make a nest or choose to leave their "small gifts." 

At first glance, they seem harmless & actually cute!

But if the problem goes unaddressed.... you can quickly have an infestation!

I have recently had many thoughts going through my head. These mice are messing with my reality! They are walking in places that they do not belong & secretly hiding in places where they are hard to catch. They are sneaky, sly little devils that can eat the food off of a trap all while escaping just in time to avoid their impending doom!

As a Christian, have you ever viewed your actual "house" as your body, your marriage, or your family? How many times have small unwelcome things crept into your "house?"

These problems are sneaky, sly little devils that often steal your joy & escape just like those pesky little mice!

As I have accepted the fact that the mice are here, I do not equally have to accept that they are here for good!

In the case of the mice, we have elected plan B:

This is Leon-o (Leo for short)

He is the cat of our friend Henry. Since Henry's mom is unable to care for him any longer he needed a new home. It was the perfect time for him to live with us! 

Cat gets a home... my boys get a pet.... Henry is happy that the cat is safe... & I get a mouse free house!

But what happens to those unwelcome things that sneak into our "houses" like I mentioned before? We can't buy a spiritual cat to come in & scare the problems away. But thankfully we serve a God that is much more powerful than a furry feline. We can put our "houses" in his hands! Whether it be your body, your marriage, or your family.... God knows exactly how to help you exterminate the unwelcome pest.

I like how it puts it in the Message translation of the Bible. Psalm 55:22-23 says:

Pile your troubles on God’s shoulders—

    he’ll carry your load, he’ll help you out.

He’ll never let good people    topple into ruin.But you, God, will throw the others    into a muddy bog,Cut the lifespan of assassins    and traitors in half.

And I trust in you.

 How wonderful it is to know that our problems are on God's shoulders! God is here to help us out! Does that mean we will be problem free? Uh... no

Does that mean that we will no longer have unwelcome "guests" creeping into our "houses?" ...I don't think so!

What it does mean, is that God is right there beside us to give us the strength we need to continue pressing on. He is there to sustain us, to help us out! In other words... he is there to chase the mice away!

And for those of you who love all creatures... God is not a vicious God. After all, He created every creature just as He created you & me. If your invaders are other people who are pulling you down or stealing your joy, God has a plan for them as well. Pray that God will reveal his perfect plan for them & to them so that they leave your "house" & are able to find & enjoy their own. And as for the real mice... they are welcome to live wherever they like.... just not in MY HOUSE! 

Our friend Leo has been here just under 24 hours, but I have high hopes that his presence in our house will be both positive & productive. 

Maybe Lady Gaga was on to something when she mentioned being on "the edge of Glory"... As we pursue the life that God has for us, we move from Glory to Glory as the Bible mentions in 2 Corinthians 3:18.  Maybe when we feel we are "on the edge" it is just a good sign that we are on the right track & that God is preparing us for the next step so that He can reveal His glory to us yet again.