Monday, April 14, 2008

Oh Lord, what are we doing??

What a weekend.......oh my. As I've been back in Exodus this morning studying about the plagues that the Lord sent to Egypt to get Pharaoh's attention, I have found much significance in my life today!!

I would write out everything the Lord spoke to me about through these plagues, but frankly, I think you'd find it boring!! =)

There are some things ahead of me in the coming weeks that I cannot and will not share on this blog but things that I'm a little "concerned" about and after this weekend and the events that transpired.....it's still making my stomach turn.

The past few days, I've just been screaming out to God, "WHAT ARE WE DOING???" This house.......ya'll.......I'm done. Before I go on to explain, please keep in mind, this house is 50 something years old, in the "woods", on a half acre, has deer running through the back yard, skunks, snakes and Lord knows what else roaming around out there.....and I DO keep my house clean.

On Friday night, Kris climbed up into the attic to get the girl's spring clothes down. As he opened up the door suddenly huge ants began falling from the ceiling. I screamed, the girls screamed and we left the house for two hours while we "boomed" it. Ok.....over, I survived, I'm ok. And I assure you, I do not have food in my attic, I don't know why they were up there!! Kris thinks it might be a moisture thing.

Saturday. We return from my mom's house after celebrating my dad's birthday only to discover we had a new resident...... A mouse. More screams, more hysterics, more crying...... OH MY WORD, I still cringe as I write that. But seriously, what would you expect in a house with three girly's and a hysteric momma??

We then spent the next three hours setting traps and chasing that gross thing. Kris says, "Do you think we should leave some cheese out?" I rolled my eyes and thought......"Have you not read that book a million times to the girls, 'If you give a mouse a COOKIE'. " Duh....you don't give mice cheese, they eat Oreos! So we broke up an Oreo and placed it on the floor and waited, and waited and waited for that thing to come out. No such luck.

So Kris, LEAVES ME alone........with the bb gun (that thing has been coming in handy lately!), to go out and get some traps, poison and Lord knows what else to get rid of this thing. I'm standing there, IN THE DARK, shaking like a baby, praying for this thing TO LEAVE. I don't do ants, mice or anything else that crawls. I just don't do it!!

Well the darn thing....it starts poking his head out!! Knowing that the big guy, the one who is not afraid is gone!........ So I'm standing there shooting this bb gun at this thing, screaming like a FOOL!!! Needless to say, my freshly painted cabinets now have little pellet marks all over them.......(sighs) and I have discovered, I have bad aim.

We think that it got back under the crawl space because it is no where to be found in our freshly bleached and cleaned like crazy in every corner house!!! And NOTHING could be alive under that crawl space now.......there is more poison, moth balls and traps than should be allowed in there!!

Or at least that's what I keep telling myself.

So I know your thinking......."Where are you going with this??" Yes, where am I going with this?

Through these fears, the cleaning, and the crying over this stuff......I really have been asking the Lord for some "purpose" in this! We have never intended to stay in this house a long time. But, we were at least thinking two years. Our "vision" was either to fix it up and sell it, or fix it up and put some major additions on. But I do believe we are now in agreement........we are not cut out for this! If it was just Kris and I.......maybe, but these three girly's require a lot of money and time as it is, let alone an old, old house.

The time, the money, the strain on our lives.........it's been a lot. And it's starting to really add up...... And no......I don't write about every little thing on here. But, lately we've really been asking God, "What are we to do?"

So this morning, as I was reading in Exodus about more gross, crawling, hopping things.......frogs!, I saw some significance in my heart.......this is not a "contentment" issue, it's a faith issue. I have truly, truly, truly, questioned the Lord as to WHY THIS HOUSE??? There have been many, many life-lessons learned here. And no, we are not moving like tomorrow or anything like that, but we are waiting to see what God says about a few things.

But for now......for today, I am praying like Moses did during these plagues in Exodus. He had a new approach, one of boldness and daring faith. He changed! His outlook changed! He began to actually believe what God was doing through him!!! And that is what I want today........I believe and I know without a shadow of a doubt that the Lord sent us to this house. And just like at first, Moses really, REALLY questioned God, and God totally showed himself to Moses, that is what I need today.......bold, daring faith. Maybe you can relate???

Dearest Lord,

Oh Father, there is so much on my heart this morning, and not just these silly issues with our house. Father, serious things that require much prayer and petition. And as you showed me through Moses a new, bold, daring faith that he began to have, I ask for the same thing in my life today.

You know the details, you know what's needed. I pray for it all just to be under your control. I release it all......I surrender, palms up, always God.

Be with us all, Lord, we all need bold, daring faith in areas of our lives. Help us to live this way daily and to see it significantly change our lives, just like it did with Moses!!

But for now Lord, please keep all these creepy, crawly things out of our home. Lord, I cannot handle it!

Amen.

14 comments:

Teri said...

Praying for you girl!

Love ya,
Teri

Sharon Brumfield said...

When you live in any wooded area--critters will come in. We have had the same issues. And don't forget the huge bomber roaches.
None of these have anything to do with a clean house.

I heard someone lately say that God was taking some of His people through some tough issues now--before everyone else--so that when things got really rough He would have a group to use to help pull His people through.??????
If you knew you were going through this for someone else how would that make you feel?
If I know you at all I would think that would make you feel honored.
He sees you.

Jenny said...

We live out in the country so we have had our share of visitors too!

A cat will take care of most all of your mice and snake troubles though. But it's not fun having to deal with all that.

We had a mouse in the house when Meghan was about 4 (she is 15 now)and Chad was trying to kill it with a broom and she is screaming...

DON"T KILL GUS! (From Cinderella)

It was so sweet and funny, we just stopped and let Gus live! (Until he stumbled into a trap!)

Have a great day and I'll say a prayer for you!

Jen

ThreeGirlyGirls said...

Thanks y'all.....it helps to know other's experiences/encouragement too!! Jenny, that was a really cute story!!
Sharon, yes my friend....I agree!!! =)

Sarah Martin said...

Keep believing! The things that are important to you are absolutely important to God!

love,sara

Valarie said...

Oh sweet girl. Let me tell you that I lived in a "house of plagues" too! We had an opposum crawl into our crawl space - which actually was a walk space on one end of the house (it was on a hill) and decide to build a nice home on top of our hot water tank. Jimmy shot it with a bb gun too (we already knew my aim stunk) so it left but it also decided to drop off a legion of fleas! I fought them for 6 months - no lie!! We too had mice, turkeys, bats, "waterbugs", and so many other critters that my neighbor started calling the boys Steve Irwin and Jeff Corwin!! PITIFUL!

All I can tell you is pray and trust. God has a promised land for you, but enduring the desert can be TRYING!! Your emotions are already "peaked" with all that's going on and these varments were sent by the evil one to distract you!! Keep your focus sister!! God has a plan and purpose. He is working girl!! TRUST, TRUST, TRUST!!!

Don't worry, these critters are NO SIGN of your housekeeping ability! ;-)
Love ya.
V

Speaking Thru Me Ministries said...

wow - thank you Val for the word!! Just what I needed to hear on Nicki's comment page. thank you!! Aren't you so thankful there is a place to vent these days where we can receive almost immediate encouragment?

love you!

ThreeGirlyGirls said...

Ya'll have all made me feel so much better!!! I second Leigh!! Amen!! Thanks Val.....It gave me a good laugh!!

She Rose Up said...

You are on the right track! And I second all your clever commentors!

1)it's not your cleaning

2) It's not permanent

3) it will make what you do get SOOOO much sweeter & glorious!

4) you WILL be able to help others...

5) Consider - Moses LED his people - you feel drawn to Moses' story - You can't lead if you don't go first! Like Sharon said - a day is quickly approaching where people will NEED to be be able to see what Godly living is supposed to look like - to know God for our mana, so to speak...

xoxo, God bless you, Nicki!

Maria

Kim said...

Peanut butter on the mousetrap will draw him out instantly...worked for us. We had field mice from the farm behind our house come in our garage a few years ago and the peanut butter drew them to the trap immediately. Hang in there - and get a few outdoor cats....

Stephanie D. said...

Girl I feel ya, we have opposums at night, often, very often, and when I see then on the deck, they will just look up at me, just as to say, Hello. We have deer, tons of deer. One night, uh Jan. 1st (hunting season was over) we had 8 in the yard. I was like I did not sign up for wild kingdom. And we have to be careful driving home at because the deer are every where. At our old house we had a mouse, it has nothing to do a clean house (we had woods behind us) So get the sticky traps, they work GREAT. And a little vinegar for the ants. It will get better.

Faith said...

Oh my goodness Nicki! I am so sorry that you are dealing with all these creatures (and sorry about your cabinets). I do not do ANY kind of creepy, crawly, flying, whatsoever! I agree with several suggestions for a cat!
I am so proud of you and Kris' obedience though, and I know that the Lord will reward it.

LeAnne said...

The first time I saw a mouse in this house, my sweet husband had to lead me down the hall like leading a horse thru a fire. He had my head covered, he ran me down the hall, and we went to the hotel up the street!! He set traps. We live on a busy road, but in back is a wooded area. There are all kinds of animals and "critter critters" out there!

I like Sharon Brumfield's comment about God taking some of His people thru tough issues now, etc We are going thru some things now and we have to make some major decisions. It's even harder tho keeping a right attitude thru them sometimes.........

Heather said...

I would have fainted ten times over! Praying for all you have on your heart. God knows and I know he will meet you where you need him to!