Laughing with Tom – Mouse Muscles
Thursday 13th February 2014My wife and I recently visited some good friends for an evening.
I look forward to meeting up with friends who you can guarantee will provide an evening of laughter and meeting with Tim & Nancy was no exception.
We sat in their living room chatting about life when we heard a snap from the basement. Tim’s eyes spoke of excitement and achievement as he hurried down to discover that he had caught another mouse in the trap that he had set!
Well, to be honest, it wasn’t as successful as one might hope. This mouse clearly had a degree in acrobatics and experience in shoplifting. He tried snatching the cheese with his back feet instead of his mouth, but unfortunately, he still lost.
Nonetheless, Bertie has perseverance like no other mouse. He began to drag the trap along the floor, pulling himself with his front legs as if he was a body building mouse champion.
I can almost imagine the conversation with his fellow mice on return…
‘Alright lads…Look at these mouse muscles’
‘Woah…..talking mouse!’ the other replies.
Sadly the evening didn’t get much better for Bertie, but it’s not my place to write about what happened next. Let’s just say it was a quick, clean disposal that could have been a lot worse.
So talking of body building mice, I came across a bible passage today that I’ve never read before. It has nothing to do with mice, but a lot to do with strength. It was Psalm 105:4 – ‘Seek God and his strength, Seek his presence continually.’
Sometimes, when we lead groups week in, week out, we can find ourselves feeling like Bertie the mouse, simply dragging the trap we have found ourselves in. Yet, let us remember that we are being used by God to bring a message of life and hope to each of the young people that attend the group.
If you are in need of strength at this time or if you are dragging a painful trap – Then seek God and his strength. Seek his presence continually – And perhaps your story will then not end like Bertie the mouse – But God will get you through.
May we be leaders who are accepting of the fact that we do everything in God’s strength. After all, God doesn’t call the equipped, he equips the called.
Tom Elliott
Follow Tom Elliott on Twitter – @laughingwithtom
Check out Tom’s blog at lifeonoverflow.com
