Overcoming Fear and the Glory of Boys

Boys are great.

They are born tough and the older they get, the tougher, stinkier and grosser they get.

There are times that this does honestly, as a girl, really gets to me.

There are times however that it is truly a gift from God.

I have a huge fear and not just an "I don't like it" fear, but a paralizing and unhealthy fear.

I know this fear is not from God...

For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. Romans 8:15

My fear is mice.

I can handle bugs and spiders and lizzards and frogs...but something about a mouse that turns me inside out.

Don't laugh at me, we all have fear. It may not be in the rodent or reptile department, but deep down there is something in each one of us that we fear.

But the good news is that God will not leave us that way. He will eventually bring our fears to the surface and force us to deal with them. He may do it gently or in my case, hit me over the head with it.

Moving into this house in a newly developed, wooded area, I knew there were mice. I tried to mask my fear with denial...that I wouldn't get one.

Isn't that so like our human nature, if we don't want to deal with something, we pretend like it isn't happening. That really wears you out...hence being a slave!!!

So everything was going along great until a few days ago. I noticed some "evidence" of a mouse in the garage. My first instinct was to pretend that I didn't see it...yeah it's dirt...it's not real.

After a couple of days I knew that I had to do something. The thought of it getting in the house was overwhelming.

Sunday afternoon the boys and I go to HEB and get some snap traps. We get home...now I have never had to deal with this. I have never even touched a mouse trap...just typing this still makes my stomach turn.

So I am standing there reading the directions trying to figure it out and getting frustrated. Michael takes one look at it and figures it out...I love this child!!

We then line four traps up around the walls of the garage...it was like a military war zone!! I put a fruit loop on each one and we head to church.

When we get home and I tell Michael to open the overhead door...not the inside door in case it runs in the house and jumps on my face...a possibility you know!!!

I asked Michael if there was a mouse. He said no, but the fruit loops were gone. Are you kidding me!!!

Smart mouse.

So then I get a knife and lather them with peanut butter.

The next morning same thing...no mouse...but it dined on peanut butter.

I thought to myself 'I am feeding this mouse, why would it want to leave'. So I put more peanut butter on it and then get two of the mice hotels, where they go in and get trapped.

Last night when we got home and Michael opened the door, I actually saw it run. Now the fact that I saw this and did not wet my pants means that God is working on me.

The past few days of knowing that it was in the garage and still being able to live in my house and being ok was showing me that I do not have to be a slave to fear. I may not like what is going on, it may not be pleasant, but if I deal with it everything will be ok.

This morning when we were leaving the house, Michael opened the door and he and Alex both yelled "mouse".

The snap trap worked.

I gave Michael a dust pan and told him not to touch it...just to scoop it up, throw it in the trash and then run.

He looked at me like I was crazy.

He obeyed. He scooped that thing up like it was nothing, threw it in the trash and then ran around in circles screaming.

I think he was mocking me...I'm not sure.

So slowly but surely He is breaking down this fear. I may not like it, it may not be pleasant, but with His Spirit, I will deal with it.