The mice among the wheat

Our local supermarket has a case lot sale every fall. For a family of our size, it is a real blessing.

I save for it all year and then stock up on canned beans, wheat and sugar, among other things at a discounted price. Last fall the sale arrived at a pretty rough period for our family, we had a disabled client that was being disagreeable and consuming a lot of my time. I was "busy".

One afternoon I hurriedly took my two eldest boys to town and had them help me load our Suburban with food for the coming year. Arriving at home, the phone was ringing, I sighed, it would be another hour long conference on my client's behavior. Turning to the boys I said "Just throw it in the storage room, I'll take care of it later." and I picked up the phone.

The boys were just making their last trek up the stairs as I hung up... " Mom, we stacked everything in order down there but some of the sugar and wheat bags wouldn't fit in the storage bins." I assured them it would be fine and I would pick up more bins the next time we went to town.

"Did you set the mouse traps?"

"Oh, no we forgot." and they turned to go back down.

"It's alright you have done enough ~I'll get them."

That was the last thought I would give it.

September rolled into October and we had to ask that our client be removed from our home. October into November...... Until one day I was baking and needed something from the cellar. Oh, the mess that met my eyes. Chew holes in the corners of the bags of wheat and sugar, droppings laying about and a box full of unset traps sitting on the floor. All my intentions of getting to it some day.... now flashed before my eyes. I had no one to blame but myself.

I instantly began to clean. After the damage was done I magically had time. Everything stopped for the next two hours as I set traps, swept up ruined food and re-bagged that which was still good. I found the time once the danger became real to me.

Two hours provides a long time for self reflection and our Saviour still uses parables to teach us.

I wonder how many times in the lives of my children do I get so "busy" that I neglect to take the time to protect them from the danger? How many small holes have I allowed to be chewed in the fabric of their character because I thought it wasn't that serious? How much more should I be guarding their souls ~ even more so than their substance.

Lord, help me remember that Satan is always vigilant. His only "business" is our destruction. May I never be distracted from my true purpose. Lord, keep me form busyness.