“In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.” Psalm 4:8

After hauling home boxes of Christmas decorations from out of storage, we were relaxing while watching TV. Suddenly, my eye caught a glimpse of movement across the room. Turning my head was enough to freeze the action, just long enough to stare down ‘a mouse.’ As it exited, all I could think was, “here we go again!”

Admittedly, there is not much cuter than a mouse. Those big ears and eyes seem to shout out, “I want to be your friend!” But you can’t teach a mouse how to fetch the paper, sniff out a rabbit or make you breakfast! In reality, there is nothing good that can come from having a mouse in the house. Though cute as can be, they are, in reality…dirty, nasty destructive creatures. So what to DO?

My father was an exterminator before he became a pastor. Living in parsonages growing up made that fact a blessing. I learned how to eradicate rats, bats and mice as a boy. Having an old church as a cabin, I get plenty of practice at catching mice when on vacation. But THIS?? THIS… is my HOME!

I remember the vacation night Katie awoke after the power went out. Lying there in the dark, all she could hear was the scurry of a mouse! Or so she thought! She didn’t sleep well! Now that my job of rodent control was resurrected, it was time for action!

I love Jesus. And I LOVE that I CAN be AT PEACE inside the home of my own little mind. Experience has taught me that there is NOTHING I need to fear, or worry about, that He can’t handle. That DOESN’T mean I will live in this world rodent or trouble free! As a matter of fact trouble, in the form of persecution, tribulation, animosity and hatred, is PROMISED to those who love Christ. But so is His PEACE!

The kind of peace that only Jesus can give is an inside job! After all, loading up my bedroom with weapons doesn’t help my peace if ‘I’ have to be the one who stays awake to keep watch! So I turned it all over to HIM, since He volunteered for the job anyway! I am in His hands, even when I sleep! ESPECIALLY then!

I took the necessary steps, did my job, and can say that we are now ‘mouse in the house’ free! We slept well last night and weren’t worrying about any scurrying! Looking back, the mouse was actually a gift! It reminded me of what I DON’T have anymore…a troubled mind! This Christmastime, I can thank God for having THAT kind of peace!         

How PEACEFUL is YOUR house?