A dead rat. Today at lunch, my daughter called me and was quite distraught. She has been sick all week with a fever and stuffy head but she is caring for some animals for a family out of town, so she has had to leave the house at least twice a day to give them food and clean up after them. Well, when she arrived to feed the dogs today, she was greeted by a rather large and very dead rat next to the dogs’ beds inside the house. Oh my. Being in the classroom today didn’t allow me to leave campus to help her. Sorry Eliza! I’m not sure how much help I would have been but at least I could have offered moral support with my presence during clean up.
Recently, I’ve spoken to a number of people who find themselves in this same predicament. I’ve got a fever, life doesn’t allow me to rest enough to heal, and now there is a dead rat added on top of everything else. People aren’t literally in this same predicament, but you get the idea, the stressors of life keep piling up. I don’t have a cure for fevers or extra hours in the day to rest or a magic wand to remove a dead rat from your living room, but I do know who walks beside you through life and offers hope and encouragement along the way when dead rats appear in your house. Jesus never leaves us even when tears blur our vision. Jesus understands and is always with us. Rely on Him. He is greater than you or I.
And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Matthew 28:20b NLT