RATS

In the beginning God created a lot of things, including rats. During our time in Mississippi I shared a space with a medium size dead rat. This was more enjoyable than sharing the same space with a small alive rat. More enjoyable for me, not that rat.

Since I often pray that God is good and just I know deep within my inner man that rats are good. Good from God's perspective. They have a reason to exist on the earth. It may be they are like cockroaches. Rats and cockroaches can be used of God to cause a holy fear that leads to prayers of protection and deliverance.

I had a night in Mississippi when, according to one youthful critic, I was the "scaredest" he had ever seen. After listening to rats chew on the corner of our dwelling for about an hour I suddenly felt something jump on my face. In the spirit of Sampson I grabbed the intruding villein and wrestled it off my face and to the side of my cot. In an our bust of anger and hostility I was horrified that I had been accosted by a corner of my blanket. I know some people who have blankets that love them and comfort them. Mine joined in union with the rats to terrorize me.

But in the end I got to align myself with scripture. I arose and turned on the light over my bed. True to the nature of light the darkness was pushed back. Now the dark and forbidding corner that was filled with chewing noises was converted. God is light and in Him no darkness dwells. Do you think that God created light in the first place to drive out the "chaos" (darkness, mess, rats) in Gen. 1?

In my "Manly" ways I asked if my new night light was a problem to anyone else in the hut. I was thankful that this group was home schooled and well trained in not imposing their will on adults. Just a few moans and groans and the rest of the night was full of light and peaceful ratlessness. While I learned to deal with my issues with light, many of the young men learned to sleep with their sleeping bags and pillows pulled over their eyes. What a great night for learning!

If you ever have trouble getting out and bed and going to work, just bring a few rats into your room and allow them to live and breed. This one simple action will greatly help you get and out bed and look forward to get going in the mornings.