This past week has been a very educational and eye opening experience for me.  After being in Atlanta for 3 days, I returned home Friday morning to a mouse in our house.  And after cleaning and examining our home the rest of the day, we then determined that our single mouse friend possibly brought his buddies with him.  Now being a city girl, this has had me completely disgusted and anxious.  From washing legos in the bathtub to mounds of laundry that have been washed, our home has seen better days.  The mouse (or mice) certainly left his mark, if you know what I mean.  And it’s a “mark” that I’ll be disinfecting for a while.

I knew that this would be a blog worthy story, but that it could go many different directions.  I love a good, spiritual spin on everyday situations, so it would be easy to compare the mouse to the enemy.  He can be hard to find and can go unnoticed until you’re knee deep in a mess.  He leaves no closet unturned and no food un-chewed.  He doesn’t care about your children’s stuffed animals or your well stocked pantry.  I could compare the mouse trap to us as humans and how the devil knows just what attracts our attention.  He sets the bait, specific to our sinful nature, and he patiently waits for us to sneak a bite.  And usually, there are several that await us, all in strategic locations.  The enemy watches and knows our patterns; and he uses it against us.  He promises us a sweet reward, but crushes us in the end.

But, as I began to type, this is what I felt……in every season, in every mess; there is always something to be thankful for and always something to learn.  This post is probably just for me personally.  Maybe it’s a declaration in spite of my circumstances.  Because I know how important praise is, especially when I don’t feel like it.  I know how freeing worship can be, when the annoying parts of life seem to cave in on us.  I have seen firsthand that my praise is a weapon against the devil and how it can stop him dead in his tracks.  My soul wants to bless the Lord; even when I haven’t the words to say.  So right now, I say thank you Jesus for my home.  Thank you for the bed that I have to sleep in.  Thank you for our food and clothing that you’ve provided.  Thank you for the dishes, and the toys, and the laundry; for this means my life is full and I am blessed.

Maybe you too have been overwhelmed lately by the circumstances around you or maybe you’ve hit a season that seems dry and alone.  Either way, we as believers are promised that we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength.  It doesn’t mean that we won’t want to kick and scream some days or feel insecure about our own ability.  It means that we can cast all of our cares onto Jesus Christ.  It means that His strength is perfect when we feel totally drained.  It means we weren’t made to go it alone.  He doesn’t care if it’s a mouse mess or your marriage, or a million other things.  The point is, He wants us to draw near to Him in those times.  And instead of taking the bait and becoming ensnared, we can choose to be thankful.  We can choose to praise.

Psalm 34:1 says, “I will bless the Lord at all times: His praise shall continually be in my mouth.”