Monthly Archives: September 2020

Recently our neighbor called sounding distressed. Turns out her cherished cat had gone missing and she was hoping we’d seen it. Unfortunately, we hadn’t, but I assured her we’d keep an eye out for it.

A few days later we thought we saw the cat in our garden, so we put a live trap out to try and catch it. A week went by without any luck, but we left the trap set.

This morning Ana went to feed the chickens and a few minutes later called me outside. We hadn’t caught the cat, but we did catch Pepe’ Le Pew! Now we had to figure out how to release a very unhappy skunk without getting sprayed.

At first I tried using a long pole to lift the lever to open the trapdoor, but that just got the skunk agitated. Ana tried slowly walking towards it while talking softly. This only earned her a warning foot stamp and a raised tail, so she quickly backed off.

Finally, we were able to cover the trap with a tarp and I opened the door with a rake. Pepe’ scurried off into the field without even a simple “thank you”. Ungrateful critter! But, heh, at least we didn’t get sprayed!

Later, as I headed to church, I thought how we are like that skunk sometimes. Ana and I were just trying to set it free, but it saw us as only a threat. Likewise, we many times find ourselves caught in traps of our own making, surrounded by temptation, with no apparent way out. When this happens, God is right there, offering to help. Unfortunately, instead of letting Him help, we see Him as a threat. We blame Him for our predicament and reject His assistance. We try to wiggle out on our own, only to find ourselves worse off than before.

How much better it would be if we’d just “Trust in the Lord with all [our] hearts and lean not on [our] own understanding…” (Proverbs 3:5 NIV). If we will learn to do this, to submit to God’s leading, then Jesus promises when we face temptation He will “show [us] a way out so that [we] can endure.” (1 Corinthians 10:13 NLT).

This week when temptation comes your way, instead of trying to fight it on your own, ask Jesus to show you the way out. Remember, on your own you’re sure to fail, but “if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (John 8:36 NIV).

One of the perks of my new job, which I didn’t have at my previous position, is getting to eat lunch. What a difference this break in the middle of the day makes for my mental well-being! On an especially stressful day I can hardly wait for 12 o’clock to come, so I can escape the pressures of work for a precious hour of peace and quiet down by the river. It’s the highlight of my day.

Wenatchee is blessed with a beautiful park which runs for miles along the Columbia River. It’s got a 11-mile loop for walking and biking, beautiful flower beds, wonderful views of the river, and picnic benches in the shade. It’s a very pleasant getaway from the busyness of life.

During my lunch breaks I enjoy watching the people in the park. Elderly ladies gather in lawn chairs just to chat, old men walk their dogs, bicyclists speed down the paved trail, and children run and play.

It was one of these children who made me laugh the other day. I was sitting at a table, eating my lunch and reading, when this little boy ran up, face flushed and voice filled with excitement. “Mister,” he said, “there’s a big event coming tomorrow night! You’ve got to come!” He handed me a flyer advertising a concert at his church, then ran off to find someone else to tell about the “big event.”

I got a kick out of the little guy’s enthusiasm and later spoke to his father, letting him know how his son had made my day. The boy’s happy smile and positive attitude helped me through the next 4 stressful hours and still make me chuckle even 3 days later.

The thing which struck me as I was thinking about this experience was how excited the boy had been about the “big event” coming to his church. He just couldn’t keep quiet about it and was inviting everyone he met to come and see. I think that’s how Jesus wants us to be.

In Matthew 18:3 Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” In these last days, with Jesus’ coming just around the corner, we need to be like my little friend and get excited about sharing the Good News with those around us. We need to “change and become like little children”, telling everyone we meet, “Hey, there’s a “big event” coming soon! You’ve gotta come!”