I could feel that same rubber band stretch tight again. But this time I’m not mad at my kids. For a week I can’t rest my right middle finger on the ‘K’ key. Can’t stretch it up to strike the “I” so I just peck around it with my other fingers. My silly finger had a hangnail that bizarrely became infected, so bad my finger was all swollen and red-hot hurting. Couldn’t get it to heal. Weeks before Jeff got some bizarre sort of spider bite while outside in the grass. 2 1/2 weeks of Popeye arm, red-hot swelling and pain, headaches, antibiotics, having it drained, watching his muscle be eaten away by whatever poison’s inside. What in the world? Then Dutch gets some little spot on this chin, just a little impetigo, that won’t go away, grows and hurts and itches and I read on the WebMD website: “Common in children, particularly those in unhealthy living conditions.” Oh for crying out loud! Of course I know it’s common in all little children, but between my infection, Jeff’s infection, and Dutch’s infection I’m frustrated–why is everything infected?!!
Of course not everything is. Some things are just infested.
Our house that is. And our car.
With mice.
Their evidence is everywhere. Nibbled boxes. Food gone. Shredded paper towels. Mouse poop. I’m livid. We set traps, and last night they manage to eat all the treats off the three traps without getting caught. Tricky little buggers!
Between our three infections, the evidence of some dangerous hobo spider in our yard and the mice everywhere I look (this morning they left their mark all over a stack of bathroom towels), I am crazy. I escape Sunday afternoon to run some errands alone, only to show up at Costco and discover I’ve left my card at home. A rational person would have reasoned that they’d give me a pass and let me in, but I’m not rational. There’s mice in my house, poisonous spiders in my yard, and everyone is infected with something. I can’t think straight.
On the drive home I ask it flat-out: “Ok Lord, what is it? We’re all infected and infested … what is it? I know you use the physical realm to speak to our spiritual needs. What is it?”
Silence. The whole way home.
“Ok, Lord. What’s the deal with that?”
Later that night, I take the kids to church. I had explained to Dutch the day before that he wouldn’t be able to go to his class because of the sore on his face. He was so disappointed, and said that he was going to pray and ask God to heal his face before church so that he could go to his class. So he did that night. And the next morning. And then, Sunday night, as we’re getting out of the car, he’s still praying as we walk through the parking lot, “Dada God, please heal my face so I can go to my class.” The boy has tremendous faith, and to be fair, God has answered some remarkable prayers of his, so he has reason to believe!
But this time I see he needs a further lesson in prayer.
“Babe, I know God can heal your face. But maybe what God wants more than your face to be healed is for you to learn to sit with Mama in church, to learn self-control, to learn to worship God with the mommies and daddies, to listen to the sermon and learn about Jesus there. Maybe that’s more important than your face being healed right now. Maybe God’s using your owie to move you to where He wants you to be.”
He protests for a moment, but then he lets it sink in.
I do too.
Are any of us immune to the universal human addiction to fast, smooth, effortless movement? To immediate answers to prayer? To mice-less houses and infection-less bodies? Those are good things, but our God is so great He can use mice and infections to move us, sit us down, take us out of our normal routine to teach us something new.
To move us to where He wants us to be.
Honestly, I don’t know what that “something new” is and don’t know where He wants me to be. Although I know a good place to start:
At His feet.
And so, the mice, the spiders, the infections of life–they drive us to His feet. Again and again and again.
So that’s what I’ll do again today: Sit at his feet …
and set some better traps.
{Thanks for reading.}
17 thoughts on “When everything's infected and infested …”
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Oh, yes, sit at His feet, and soak in the Love of a Savior that loves us enough to allow the infection, and infestation, only to see us grow and become….thanks
Thank you, Amy. I need this, your words, this truth. Bless you!
Mice can be so tricky that way. I grew up in an old farmhouse, so we always had them…
Over a year ago we got bed bugs. Yeah, bed bugs. In the end there were all of two of them, but boy could they attack in the night. Hours and hours of clothes washing and hundreds of dollars to the Orkin man later…I felt beaten down and anxiety-riddled and like I wasn’t a good enough housekeeper. It’s a good thing God reaches down to those infested pits; I never would have seen how much I struggle with anxiety if it hadn’t been for that incident–and how much I was trusting myself instead of Jesus.
Here’s to hoping you find the meaning in your mice and spiders.
{Side note: sometimes fly tape on the floor will catch mice; their feet just get stuck. We learned this totally by accident, but it did work.}
Haha, oh MK thank you for sharing this! Bed bugs–bless your heart! What a nightmare. Thank you so much for journeying along this life-road with me. Won’t it be so fun to meet someday in heaven and swap stories? 🙂
Oh Kari, what a mess!! He uses the most frustrating things to get our attention some times. But it works. Praying your heart finds the lesson in it all. 🙂
Thank you, Jennifer!
Anyone that knows you or knows of you knows that you are a healthy and clean family so just rest assured that indeed little ones do tend to get impetigo. (I totally thought that word was spelled way differenly:) ) My little brother got it when he was little and it wasn’t from anything but just being a boy and playing in the dirt and with our puppies.
So sorry to hear about Jeff’s arm. Right when we walked into church the other day Mark noticed his bandage and said “Oh no what did Jeff do to his arm?” I’ve assured him now that it was his hard work in the yard and from a nasty spider bite…poor guy:(
At work lately we’ve used peanut butter in the traps…harder for them to snatch it all up without getting trapped. Also have you tried placing scriptures around your house…kinda like a physical stance of a faith statement whether it be on your cupboards, near any entrances they may be using or rooms you know they are hitting…
Here’s my top 2 favs….
Haggai 2:9
‘The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says the LORD Almighty. ‘And in this place I will grant peace,’ declares the LORD Almighty.”
Isaiah 32:18
18 My people will live in peaceful dwelling places,
in secure homes,
in undisturbed places of rest.
Be blessed Kari
Oh Sarah, thank you so much! I keep hearing the peanut butter trick … we don’t have any right now so I better go get some and try it out! I LOVE the verses…wow, thank you so much for taking the time to bless me and minister to me today. Sometime, that coffee date, ok?
Decon.
Tried it! Apparently we have steroid-taking mice who aren’t fazed in the slightest by that stuff. Next we’re going to try machine guns. 🙂
Sounds like you’re using an uncomfortable situation for the glory of God! Thought I would mention that Oil of Oregano works WONDERS on all sorts of bug bites because its anti-venom and helps tremendously with itching. It’s also anti-fungal and can help skin infections. We like to keep it on hand because it’s also great to take when you’re feeling sick. Thought I’d say something because we’ve found it to work amazingly- maybe it can be of some help to you!
Ah, love it! We DID use oil or oregano (I love that stuff too!) but apparently this was a pretty serious deal. (I actually went the dr. yesterday, after writing this, and got some answers AND medicine.) Everything is starting to clear up today, praise Jesus! Thanks so much, Monica.
I’ve been thinking about this all day…I begin every morning by reading your blog. I’m also reading a great book right now called “Kisses From Katie”, a story about an American teenager who moved to Uganda (now age 22) and has done remarkable things for Jesus there. She tells stories of giant rats. Personally, I’m terrified of mice or rats. I realize it’s a little bit rediculous, but I’d rather take a snake than a mouse (rather not take either, but bear with me…). All of that to say, my heart bleeds for Africa, I think about it daily…and I wonder if one day we may just pack up and move there. If that ever happens, or even if we just visit, I probably better get over this fear of mice thing. The thought that kept crossing my mind today was, “Wow, Kari is so lucky that she gets to deal with this…so if SHE ever visits a place like that, it won’t phase her”. Seems like the Lord is always preparing us for bigger things. While I completely sympathize with you and wish you weren’t dealing with the infections and infestations, each time you face it, use it as a prompt to be prayerful for all the Mamas worldwide who are dealing with the same things. What Satan would love to discourage you with, turn the tables and use it as a mighty weapon of prayerfulness. God bless you and your family Kari Patterson! You sure bless me every morning.
Wow, you sure bless ME, Lacey! This is amazing. Honestly (and sadly) I had not even thought about this. Of course, you are right, so many mamas are constantly facing infections and infestations, day in and day out, watching their children suffer, while they suffer. Yes, I know Kisses from Katie–she is amazing. Thank you so much for this perspective…I’m humbly receive it and so thank you for your encouragement. Just now, tonight, my son started throwing up. Oh my! When it rains it pours. 🙂 Now I am so grateful for your perspective… Bless you sister!
Kari,
Thanks for the blessing of your blog. I so needed to read this today. We are beginning a remodel on the house we just purchased. Things are not moving along according to MY plan. I am trying to turn it over to God and sit quietly at his feet but it has been a constant struggle for me. Thanks again for sharing you story. If you ever make it to Kansas City I would love to meet you!
Alicia
Wow, what a joy to “meet” you! I’m so glad God was able to translate this to your situation, isn’t it amazing how we’re all really in the same boat, it just looks different from our varying vantage points. Thanks for sharing this, oh it’d be so fun to meet someday! Maybe a women’s retreat over there someday?? 🙂