Please know, I’m not bragging or trying to one-up anyone; I realize there are many, many people who can’t even tell you how many times they’ve read it cover to cover. My own experience is simply background for what happened to me this morning during my devotions. This year I decided I’d read through the Bible again, but at my own pace instead of following a prescribed program. Some mornings I’ve read half a chapter, some mornings a whole chapter, some mornings more than one chapter. I chose a version called The Swindoll Study Bible NLT, which contains side notes, some commentary, and even some of his sermons. And I’m enjoying the process – so that’s a plus.

This morning I was reading the twenty-sixth chapter of Genesis which contains part of the story of Isaac and Rebekah and their sons, Esau and Jacob. When I came to the end of the chapter there was a verse that sort of stopped me in my tracks. Since I know I’ve read this chapter at least four times, it stands to reason that I must have read that verse before – more than once. But today it was like I was seeing it for the first time. It was such a jarring note and seemed to announce so much, and yet explain so little, that I found myself wondering what the point of it was. Here’s the verse:

Genesis 26:34-35 “When Esau was forty years old, he married Judith, the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and also Basemath, daughter of Elon the Hittite. They were a source of grief to Isaac and Rebekah.” (NIV) (In the CSB version there’s a footnote about what the literal translation says: “And they became bitterness of spirit …”)

And that’s where the chapter ends! Do you have the same reaction I did? I found myself thinking, “What in the world? Shouldn’t there be a little more there?” So, I moved on to the next chapter hoping for a little clarity. No such luck. Chapter 27 opens with the saga of Jacob stealing his father’s blessing from Esau – with his mother’s help. And the next time we hear about Judith and Basemath, their names are not even mentioned. Chapter 27 ends with this: “Then Rebekah said to Isaac, “I’m disgusted with living because of these Hittite women. If Jacob takes a wife from among the women of this land, from Hittite women like these, my life will not be worth living.”

Now, I know that as women, most of us have the natural ability to be extremely dramatic … especially when we’ve been driven to the edge … or we need to make a point to the men in our life that they can’t miss. And I imagine Rebekah had that skill too – but still, that seems a little over the top. So, if she really, truly felt that way, those two women must have really been something! And not something good!

But it got me to thinking about how I would like to be remembered … especially in the unlikely event that someone is reading about me 4,000 years from now! And those two statements about Judith and Basemath are not anywhere on my list! Probably not on yours either.

All of the above was written a few days ago … the saga continued the next morning …

Turns out that Rebekah’s disgust with her daughters-in-law is the reason Jacob was sent to his uncle … and that led to his encounter with God in Haran, his meeting Rachel and falling in love, his future father-in-law tricking him into marrying Leah before he was allowed to marry Rachel, after which he married two more women. And then, because God favored him, he became very wealthy, moved back home to his family (Esau had moved away by then), and eventually the eleventh of his twelve sons was born – they named him Joseph. You might remember him – he’s the one who was sold into slavery by his brothers, worked his way up to be manager of his owner’s home, where his owner’s wife tried to seduce him, failed, and incited her husband to throw him in prison. After twelve years, through his relationship with the Lord, he was brought out of prison and promoted to being Prime Minister of Egypt. And that promotion allowed him to be able to keep his father, plus all of his brothers and their families, from starving during the famine.

And it placed the people of God in Egypt where, as they grew in number and became a threat to the establishment, they were forced into slavery. Then some 400 years later Moses and Aaron would be sent to make Pharoah let them go then lead them to the Promised Land.

So, if you follow that thread backwards through the story … the narrative in the book of Exodus pretty much has its roots in those two women, Judith and Basemath, and their less than favorable impression on their in-laws.

Now, with that in mind, let me ask you some questions that came to me in the days since I started this blog. (And, trust me, I’ve asked myself the same things). What painful circumstances have you had in the past that you can now look back on and see how God was moving to give you a different and better outcome than what you expected … or even dreamed of? And if you’re experiencing difficulties in your life currently, does this story maybe help you see them from a new angle?

I’m pretty sure Rebekah never knew that the experience she had with her daughters-in-law, and her response, would eventually lead to the saving and relocation of an entire nation. And maybe she didn’t handle her frustration in the most positive way. The Lord knows there have been many times when I certainly didn’t handle mine well. But that one declaration from Rebekah, and the way God used it, really gives me hope that somehow, in some way, the Lord will use my mess-ups to further his plans.

And all of this reminds me once again that no matter how many times I read the Scriptures … or listen to them … or study them … there is ALWAYS something new for God to show me. That should be reason enough for me to open my Bible every day.

Just a side note: if you keep reading in Genesis, you’ll find the final mention of Esau and his wives in Chapter 36. He did marry one more time – but the wives are only referenced because of the sons they bore him. And Judith is named as Ohlibamah; Basenath has become Adah – that caused me some confusion and a bit of research to figure out. Turns out most scholars think the name change was just a cultural thing as they moved from one region to another.

It seems more than once, when Hayden’s been gone from his cabin for a while, he’s forgotten to make sure the door is completely latched. Boom-Boom seems to consider that an open invitation to come on in and make himself at home. As you might imagine, he creates a pretty sizable mess as he spends his time exploring … after all, he is a sizable animal.

In the episode she was talking about, Boom-Boom had once again gained entry to the cabin and was able to wander around for who knows how long before his owner/friend came home. And what he finds is probably completely frustrating for him – but was quite amusing to me.

It seems that as Boom-Boom was ambling through the kitchen he made his way almost all the way around the kitchen table. But as he came down the path between the wall and the table, heading back toward the door, he encountered an obstacle that he didn’t know how to handle. So – he just stopped. He seemed to be sure he was stuck, so he was patiently waiting for rescue. And his rescuer was, of course, Hayden. Would you like to know what formidable object had this bison so completely trapped?

It was … wait for it … a wooden kitchen chair!! Yep, the poor guy was defeated by a chair – one that he could have completely destroyed just by continuing his walk and shoving it out of the way or lowering his head and butting it. Instead, he was standing there looking totally flummoxed. And when Hayden came to help, he was very skittish about that process also.

Hearing the story, and then later looking the video up online and watching it for myself made me smile and chuckle both times. Part of the reason it’s so cute to me is because Boom-Boom obviously has no concept of his own power. But it also caused me to realize that I am prone to do the same type of thing in my own life: trying something new on the computer that makes my brain freeze and I come to a total standstill right before I melt down. OR someone I’m close to being in a situation that makes my heart hurt and I can’t find a solution, so I decide my hands are tied. OR getting to the end of my emotional resources and collapsing in tears and/or throwing my hands up in defeat. In each of those scenarios, like Boom-Boom, I’m sure I’m stuck … so I remain stuck. Until someone comes to my rescue or I finally turn to Jesus on my own.

Now, I’m not going to claim that I have any idea of how or what Boom-Boom was thinking in his “stuckness”. But his story does make me realize, ALL of my “impossible” situations are nothing more than wooden kitchen chairs to my Lord – and he can move them as easily as Hayden moved the one blocking Boom-Boom’s progress. And, like Boom-Boom I can slow the process down by not remembering my rescuer’s strength and getting skittish about trusting him. Remember, the Scripture says: “Be still and know that I am God.” Did you know another way to translate ‘be still’ is “LET GO”? Hopefully over the course of time, I will remember more quickly who it is that holds me, and I’ll get better at both of those.

If you’d like the visual memory of Boom-Boom’s challenge to remind you, just google “Boom Boom the Bison.” You’ll find more than a few video clips … but if you have children, I’d suggest screening them by yourself first and then deciding if you want the kids to see them. They might not be what you consider language appropriate.

When you read the Old Testament, you will find quite a number of stories with happy endings. Abraham and Sarah having a son when they were old enough to be having great-great-grandkids; Joseph going from slavery to being Prime Minister; Esther risking her life to save her people and ending up as the Queen! And, as with all well written stories, each of them endured trials, pain, and tribulation – and still rose triumphant.

But the one I want to talk about today is the story of Job. He suffered so many losses, so much pain … physically, financially, emotionally, spiritually. It certainly ran the gamut of multiple types of trials. But maybe the thing that makes it the hardest for us to understand is that out of all of them, he was probably the most innocent of all. Abraham and Sarah got impatient waiting for the fulfillment of God’s promise and jumped the gun, giving the world Ishmael before Isaac came along. Joseph got a little too big for his britches (also known as prideful) and annoyed his brothers enough that they sold him into slavery. Now that’s annoyance! And Esther almost didn’t take the risk for her people – she had to be guilted and scared into it by her uncle. But Job? From what I read in Scripture, apparently his only fault was being righteous enough to tick off Satan so much it drove him to ask God to let him test Job and see if he would curse God. You can read the conversation between them in Job 2:6-12.

So, out of the blue, this “blameless man of complete integrity” loses all ten of his children, all of his livestock, all of his crops, everything! The only thing left is his wife … and she turned out to be less than wonderful! At one point her advice to him is to “Curse God and die!” If you’re not familiar with the story, at this point you’re probably saying, “Hey, wait! I thought this was supposed to have a happy ending!” Hang on … it does.

Like all of us, when Job was hit with this series of disasters, it took time for him to grieve, question, try to understand, etc. Here’s what he said in Job 3:25-26. “What I always feared has happened to me. What I dreaded has come true. I have no peace, no quietness. I have no rest, only trouble comes.” Maybe you can relate to those thoughts and emotions … I know I can. And it takes the next 39 chapters – all the way to the beginning of Chapter 42 – for Job to get everything clear in his mind and be able to say to God, “I had only heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes. I take back everything I said …” For me, this is part of the happy ending – because in those intervening chapters, Job got real with God and asked all the questions, made all the statements and expressed all the confusion, doubt and pain in his body, mind and emotions. But the one thing Job didn’t do was speak incorrectly about the Lord. And, yes, God got stern with him at one point – but he didn’t send a bolt of lightning down to take him out. He helped Job understand his place in this world and how it differed from the place occupied by the Maker of heaven and earth. Then Job accepted where and who he was, and repented, and willingly prayed for his friends when they asked him to.

And here’s the happily-ever-after: “the Lord blessed Job in the second half of his life even more than in the beginning.” You can find the details beginning in Job 42:12.

I don’t know where you are in your life; what trials you’ve experienced or might be experiencing as you read this. I don’t know what wounds you bear that haven’t yet healed and are still tender to the touch. I do know there are ongoing situations in my life that are painful, and episodes that have closed but have left still sensitive scars. I also know there have been times when the pain has been so intense, I really didn’t want God to bring anyone else into my life who I might come to love … I was pretty sure if it went wrong, I would not be able to survive. Those feelings can still rise up in me, even though in my more stable moments I know and understand they are baseless. But they are also what caused me to ask the questions about Job I posed at the beginning of this piece: did he ever fear receiving blessings that might be taken away?

Then there are some other things I know: God blessed Job doubly after his tragedies and there’s no mention of Job losing any of those blessings. Plus, God is no respecter of persons, which means if he did it for Job, he can do it for me and you. Maybe it won’t happen exactly as I picture it in my imagination, and maybe it won’t be in the timing that I desire. But I’m going to hang on to him tightly and remember that my trials and sorrows are miniscule in comparison with Job’s. And he had no idea there were any blessings at all coming his way when he had his epiphany about who God was … and still is. Job only knew by some miracle he was still alive, and God was very aware of who he was – that was enough for him. It should also be enough for me. The goal is for me to remember all of that … even in the darkest moments.

I notice God’s glory in the infinite variety of animals and plants that can be seen everywhere. I love watching nature shows and marveling at film of animals doing things that I will never see for myself in the wild. There’s always something new to learn and it thrills me when suddenly on the screen there is a creature I’ve never seen before – or a familiar one physically displaying a part of themselves that has always been hidden from me. Then there are the personal encounters. In the last year at our place in Florida I’ve had six different encounters with native snakes … three alive, three dead … just in the course of taking my walks/runs. Fortunately, I’m not afraid of them – cautious, yes, at least until I figure out whether they’re venomous or not. But each time I’m excited to see them. And then there are the little lizards. They’re actually anoles, which were sold in California when I was a kid as “chameleons”. They do change color, but not anywhere near as spectacularly as a true chameleon. Which, by the way, I’ve seen two of here in Florida over the last few weeks … so cool.

Finally, I see God’s glory in the stories of other people’s lives – the three young women in my life who have had little to no parental support and are not only surviving but moving forward, working to know Jesus better and achieve their goals. The friends I love who have had horrific and painful episodes in their lives, yet are tenaciously holding on to their faith, seeking healing, restoration and a brighter future. And in my own story … the episodes where I fell flat on my face in grief, fear and/or emotional anguish and he met me right there in the bottom of those valleys. Not only met me, but comforted me, gave me peace and helped me get up off the floor … and then encouraged me, and still encourages me to tell my story so others can feel less alone and reach out to grab help for themselves.

So, I guess I’d say if I look, if I pay attention, I can see God’s glory just about everywhere I am. He’s certainly not hiding it – it’s only my own clouded vision that keeps me from noticing.

In those times when things aren’t smooth … in fact, they’re downright stormy … and you feel a little like a ship tossed about in a storm, or a defenseless mouse being stalked by multiple cats, we can easily begin to feel overwhelmed and think we might be on the verge of drowning without a rescue in sight. Believe me, I’ve been there more than once. If we’re brave enough to be honest, I’m guessing all of us have those kinds of stories to tell. We are broken people, living in a broken world – it would be weird to find someone who’s never, ever been there!

But every once-in-a-while in my life, when I’m paying attention, I can see God put something in front of me, where I can’t miss it – something I already know but tend to forget … especially in those stressful times. It happened today. It was during one of my devotions which was based on this verse: “From the end of the earth I call to You when my heart is faint; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.” (Psalm 61:2 NASB) The question that was posed to me was “what would the outcome be of being led to that rock?” I’m not sure I’ve ever really thought about it in quite this way before, but here’s what came to me.

Standing on a “rock higher than I” means I’ll be able to see over the top of the chaos that may be surrounding me. (I’m only 5’4, so there are a lot of things I can’t see over.) And with a higher vantage point, I might have a view of possibilities that are hidden from me when I’m standing on the ground staring directly at my current circumstances. Have you noticed how a messy situation looks when you’re standing smack in the middle of it, as opposed to seeing it from a little farther away? First, from a distance it just naturally looks smaller. Plus, from there you may be able to pick out items on the periphery of the mess, ones you might be able to use to clean it up … people or things you couldn’t see or didn’t notice before.

But getting to the top of the rock may mean I have to be willing to drop whatever weight I’m carrying – the disagreement with my husband; that kid who’s out of control; those never-ending chores that keep piling up; the boss who’s making me crazy … in order to focus on the climb. And, of course, in this case the Scripture says the “rock” we’re speaking of is the Lord. Verse 3 goes on to say, “For you have been a refuge for me. A tower of strength against the enemy.” Isn’t that what we all want and need? A place of refuge to run to, somewhere to feel safe and cared for?

For myself, I’m beginning to see that the longer I live, the more aware I’m becoming of how completely out of my league I am in many, many areas. So, just the thought that I can take all my messes and stresses – and there are plenty of them – and drop them at the base of that “rock” can make my head stop spinning and my heart calm down. However, as I said before, the trick for me is remembering that’s available, before I’m overwhelmed by anything … or everything!

So, what are the first two things I need to do? LET GO … and … LOOK UP. Sometimes, if I just do that, I find it won’t be necessary for me to climb. Because from where I’m standing, right there at the base of the Rock, my vision is already shifting and clearing. I realize I’m able to see past all the things that make my heart faint, and gaze at the one who neither sleeps nor slumbers – and knows me better than I know myself. (Psalm 121) And that is enough. But … I might want to climb up anyway – just to get a little bit closer …

Because David was who he was, and did what he did, his feats of greatness are still talked about, his words are still quoted, his failures still examined, etc. And not just years and years after his death – instead, centuries and centuries later! His life story from the time he was a little shepherd boy through the time of his death and burial is chronicled in the Bible. He’s famous for a number of things: confronting and killing the giant, Goliath; being anointed as king of Israel years before he was able to take the throne; his ability to play the harp so beautifully that his music could soothe the souls of those who heard it. But maybe the talent that he’s remembered for more than any other was his ability to express every emotion known to man in the Psalms that he wrote. And thereby, give us tacit permission to express all of our emotions to God.

He is accredited with being the author of at least seventy-three of the Psalms and many of us have memorized his words and still use them in our lives today. How about Psalm 23 where we get the familiar phrases, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death…” or The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want”? Just to name a couple. Or a phrase that I’ve used frequently in my life as I continually lose sight of my priorities: “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” (Psalm 51)

Did David have even a slight idea of what his impact would be not only on his generation, but on thousands of generations to come? I imagine it must have crossed his mind at least a time or two – but, let’s face it – he couldn’t possibly have conceived of a world where anyone who desires to, can find all the words that are credited to him just by pushing a button or two on a little electronic gadget that was not even a dream just one century ago.

SO, what does that mean for you and me? I don’t know about you … you’ll have to figure that one out for yourself. But, for me it means that, partially because of the story God has given me, and partially because of the magic of computers and internet, etc., I can dream that what I write, what I say in front of a group, and what I record might still be impacting people in a positive way many, many years in the future. The thought of that will hopefully help me view my gifts more seriously and make me take what I perceive as my calling as something to be treasured and pursued with more diligence and consistency. After all, none of knows what the future holds here on earth …

I’m internally built to keep sort of a timeline of events in my head, and therefore in my heart. I think it’s partially my way of letting me adjust to episodes and remember where I was and what I was doing, or going through, during particular times or seasons. On that morning, I found myself wishing I could go back to life seven years ago … it would have placed me in a time period that was relatively free of intense mental and emotional pain.

Maybe, like me, you can look back at one life-changing event that seemed to be the catalyst for more and more of those painful times. For me, it was the day our oldest son called to say, “Mom, it’s cancer.” Those are not three words strung together that any parent wants to hear. But those words were also the ones that would open a door for me to say, “There will be a second book” … even though I didn’t know it at the time. I hadn’t even finished the first one yet and was still pretty sure it would definitely be the one and only one I would write!

But, on that particular morning just a few weeks ago, when I was emotionally circling the drain, it was partly because my brain was on a continuous loop of all the things that have taken my feet out from under me through the recent past. Do you have things like that in your life … memories that in the right timing can slam into you with enough force to lay you out flat and immediately reduce you to sobbing? And they don’t even have to be recent ones … they might have happened years ago. At least long ago enough that a part of your brain whispers, “You should be over it by now.” Which only adds guilt into the equation.

I found myself in my husband’s arms, brokenly saying through my sobs that I wanted it to be seven years ago. And then, when he asked why, verbally listing all of the people and situations that have brought so much anguish since then. He comforted me as well as he could (not an easy task) and when I was a little bit calmer a thought popped into my head: hadn’t I heard that the human body swaps out all of its cells every seven years? Wouldn’t that mean that on a cellular level, I am a totally different person than I was on the day I got that phone call from our son? I decided to pursue that thought a little further and see where it lead. But first I needed to do some research.

Many times, technology and I have serious disagreements, but in times like this I really do appreciate being able to do a Google search. Was everyone else aware that Quest Labs has an editorial team? I mean, literally … they are called the “Quest Editorial Team!” Well, an article from 2020 popped up in answer to my question about the human body’s cells. In a nutshell this is what it said.

The process is called ‘cell regeneration’ and the answer to the seven-year timeline query is “Yes … and no.” On an average your body’s cells regenerate every 7-10 years, with a lot of variation: skin cells are replaced every few weeks, but skeletal muscle cells can take as long as 15 years. And a 2020 study found that if an adult has a brain injury, cells revert to a less mature state, and from there they may be able to regrow! So, I’m not a totally new person … but a lot of my cells are new.

Kind of makes me wish that the non-physical part of me had cells that were just automatically sloughed off and replaced periodically. Fresh, new, with no dents, dark spots, damages or disfunctions. But since that isn’t how it works, I’ll hang on to the promises of Scripture, like the one that says God’s mercies are new every morning. (Lamentations 3:22-23) Heaven knows I need a renewed batch on a regular basis.

And as I receive and focus on those mercies, the promise from Ezekial 36:26 will be mine to claim: “I will give you a new heart and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.” With that new heart I can join the psalmist in saying, “He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God.” (Psalm 40:3)

Maybe that’s how my mental and emotional “cells” are meant to be regenerated!

Although we had hoped to use Rocky for education purposes, like we did our Florida King and our Rosy Boas, he never really got to the point of being comfortable during handling – at least not to the extent we would have wanted if we were going to hold him around crowds of people for long periods. So, when we did use him, he remained in his aquarium as a visual example, rather than a hands-on version. But that wasn’t Rocky’s only quirk; just one of quite a few.

Rocky was the only snake we ever had that I was convinced could actually count. We fed him live baby mice – I know, I know, it sounds cruel, but the little dude had to eat, and unlike some captive snakes, he refused to eat the dead variety. He also knew exactly how many he wanted: if I gave him two, he would continue to hunt after they were eaten. Give him four and one of them would be left over and ignored … he wanted three per feeding and only three.

And, it turns out, he could also be easily intimidated. In order to understand that, you’ll need a little more information about the science of baby mice as food. When they’re first born, they are hairless and their skin is completely pink – in the language of pet food they are called “pinkies”. At about 7-10 days of age, they have a thin coating of fur and are called “fuzzies”. At about two weeks of age they are still pretty fuzzy, but their eyes have just begun to open and although they don’t see clearly, they can see movement and shadows. At that point, they develop a self-defense mechanism – whenever they sense danger, they hop straight up into the air – and strangely enough we call them … “hoppers”.

Nutritionally, the fuzzies are the best choice for most animals who aren’t big enough to handle a larger prey item – they have more calcium and other nutrients than the pinkies. Hoppers can actually be a little dangerous, depending on what you’re feeding them to. They really can launch themselves about 15 inches or more into the air, and of course, there’s no guidance system helping them land, so there’s a potential for them accidentally injuring the animal who’s hunting them. I got very good at specifically requesting “fuzzies” for Rocky when we purchased food, knowing that they offered the best chance of success. The problem arose because the sales person either didn’t hear me, or didn’t know what I meant, and I made the mistake of not asking to see them before he closed up the paper bag and we walked out of the pet store. One of the three mice in the bag was just learning his hopping skills, but by the time we discovered that, he was already in Rocky’s cage and I was not going to stick my hand in there to retrieve him when Rocky was already on the hunt! So, I just decided to give it a couple of days, making sure that there was enough water in the dish that the fuzzy could get a drink, and that there was a little food in there for him each day.

What ensued was two weeks of Rocky and this little white mouse cohabiting in the aquarium. Every time Rocky got close to him the first couple of days, he would leap into the air and often land on some part of Rocky’s body. It didn’t take too many of those episodes before Rocky spent most of his time hiding coiled in his rock cave at the far end of the aquarium, while the little mouse had free run of the digs and made his home on top of the heated rock at the opposite end. Not sure I blame him – it can’t be pleasant to focus in on your next meal, sneak up on it and have it suddenly disappear from your field of view. That would be unnerving enough – but to have it land with an unexpected thud on your back? No wonder he was a little reluctant to put himself out there!

Since the cage was in a hallway connecting the kitchen and living room with the bedrooms and laundry room, I probably walked by it ten to fifteen times on a normal day. It became quite a fascinating little study to see what the two of them were doing each time. One day I walked by and had to take a second look … what I thought I saw didn’t seem possible.

Rocky’s cage was lined on the bottom with about five or six layers of paper towels. He had burrowed his way into the middle of those layers (probably in self-defense from his roommate), and he was completely stretched out, right up against the front glass, sound asleep. Resting comfortably on top of the stack of paper towels, right in the middle of Rocky’s body, was our little white mouse … also, comfortably and completely asleep. If I can ever locate the photos that I took of that moment, I will make sure to post them – but, trust me, I’d never seen anything like that before, and I haven’t since!

Things finally came to a head on the day I walked by and saw our little mouse up on top of the heating rock, busily cleaning himself, while Rocky was doing his best to creep slowly across the aquarium, obviously stalking him. It had been about two weeks at this point since they’d been forced to live together, and I would imagine Rocky was once again feeling hungry. I stopped and stood still to see how this was going to play out …

Rocky got closer and closer without any indication that the mouse even saw him. But as he began to slither up the edge of the rock and came face to face with the little guy, he was suddenly attacked by two little white paws that repeatedly batted him in the face … and not gently! Poor Rocky immediately backed away, paused for a few moments and then turned slowly and went back to coil in his cave – and I’m sure he was sulking. That was the day I named the little mouse Hercules, and at the same time called my youngest daughter and asked her if she’d like to have a pet mouse. She agreed to take Hercules once I explained to her that I was concerned that Rocky was going to be irreparably harmed mentally, emotionally, and maybe physically, if we didn’t get him away from his little nemesis. A few days later, I managed to get Hercules out of the aquarium safely, and he went home with our daughter where he lived the rest of his life as a completely spoiled rodent.

In many ways, we can end up playing the part of Rocky in areas of our lives, when we should be taking on the role of Hercules. Rocky was intimidated out of using his God-given strengths, talents and design, because a little white mouse beat up on him and convinced him he wasn’t strong enough to succeed. Hercules on the other hand, for whatever reason, obviously decided that no one was going to be allowed to take him down without a fight.

In other words, Rocky didn’t get to eat while that pesky mouse was in what was actually his territory simply because after repeated blows from his opponent, he gave up and went to hide his hurts while sulking in a cave. Hercules fought for what he figured was rightfully his and succeeded in defeating a much stronger, and potentially deadly enemy, just because he believed he could.

Like Hercules, you and I have been set down in a place that is not only dangerous, but deadly. And we can’t succeed at what we’ve been designed for, or even protect ourselves, without help. But we haven’t been left here alone. We have a Champion who will give us the strength and ability to not only survive, but thrive in a world that is full of snakes. We just have to decide to stand strong, not in our own strength, but in God’s, and believe that we can triumph because we know that with God, all things are possible. Even if you’re feeling like a tiny mouse in a hungry snake’s cage. So, the next time things are tough and you’re at the point of wanting to slither into a cave and sulk, remember Rocky and Hercules and decide which one you’d rather be. Then reach out and ask God for what you need – he’ll rescue you.

Maybe I’ve seen it before. Maybe it only stood out tonight because opening my eyes this morning brought a realization that I was frustrated, angry, and short-tempered … and I could find no identifiable cause, rhyme or reason as to why I was feeling that way. I never did figure out why; I just know it faded as the day progressed. Sadly, it doesn’t always turn out that way.

But now, having looked at multiple translations, at least I have some knowledge of what I need to do next time. Here are the recommendations I find in Scripture:
MSG translation: Keep your mouth shut, and let your heart do the talking.
AMPC version: commune with your own hearts upon your beds and be silent (sorry for the things you say in your hearts.)
TPT version: Be still upon your bed and search your heart before him.
GNTD: Think deeply about this when you lie in silence on your beds.

Basically, it seems to come down to not doing anything, not even getting up, until I have examined my heart and talked openly to the Lord about it … and that “talking” should be in silence – just me and him and no one else. Which means I have to be open, honest, real … lay it all out without explanation or excuse, remembering that he can always handle my anger, frustration or just flat-out-bad-attitude-witchiness. And I have to be willing to admit my fault, once again surrendering my life and my will to him. You’d think by now I’d know how these episodes are going to work out and I could just cut to the chase and not even bother with all the other nonsense. So far, that hasn’t been the case.

But, hope springs eternal … so maybe one day soon, when I wake up in a funk, everything I wrote here will play across the video screen in my mind, my heart will change in an instant, and I will metaphorically leap right over the ugliness into absolute joyous surrender!

Well … a girl can always dream. For now, I’ll just keep trying to make it a straight and more easily traveled path from point A to point B – even that would be something to rejoice about!! Baby steps, people, baby steps …