I enjoy human babies and I also enjoy critter babies. There is hardly a mammal or animal on Earth that isn’t cute when it is little, just becoming aware of its surroundings, and finding its place in life. I’m thinking bunnies, chicks, kittens, puppies and even mice. We had some mice babies out under our bird feeder and they were so cute — all ears and tail — until they started to grow and then reproduce.

It was when we counted five mice running around outside under the feeder that my husband, Neil, and I knew we needed to make a plan for removal of these critters or they would be in the house soon. We had two cats for years and only encountered one mouse but the cats have long been gone and apparently there isn’t a local predator interested in our mice.

We bought a live trap but caught nothing and then one evening as I was sitting at my table I saw a mouse run under the refrigerator. That was the end of being nice. I needed to keep them out of the house. We had a mouse inside for the first time at Christmas. To cure that problem we thought we had every hole filled but apparently we had missed one. Once the weather got warmer they must have decided to vacation outside. 

Saturday while I was doing laundry I moved a bottle of detergent and noticed that the water pipes coming through the floor to our boiler seemed to be loose. I got a screwdriver and placed it between the pipe and the floor and yes, there was enough space and no ending as to how far down the screwdriver would go. Ah ha! Neil brought out the foam spray and we are praying that is the end of the indoor mice story.

The whole event made me think about how easily the mice were able to come and go via the pipe into our house which made me consider how easily I can let something creep into my life that is not in my best interest. I truly make every effort to do my best in life to be the woman God wants me to be. I have a strong sense of right and wrong and what is needed to keep me on the right track, but, as the mice crept into the house unnoticed, I am thinking I am guilty of that with some of my own poor choices. It is amazing how easily I can let one bad behavior in today and then accept it tomorrow as normal. 

I have a tendency to speak my mind boldly although God has been diligent about letting me know how fallible I am. I don’t ever intend to offend anyone but my tone suggests that if others would be opposed to my way of thinking I might consider them quite daft. Not exactly a nice, loving, Christ-like behavior and yet, how easily ‘my opinion is the correct one’ can become my norm. Those sneaky bad habits are just like those mice; they are creeping in unwanted and unappreciated and now I have to make a big effort to eradicate them.

So, what other little things may be sneaking around that I should be watching for? How about slacking off in my prayer life? Sometimes I look at that long list of the many needs of the people I love and I just ask God to take care of all their needs — in one fell swoop — not each person by name and need. Well, isn’t that a bit of underachieving on my part? If I make the list and I love these many people the least I can do is bring each soul up before the throne of God and ask Him to take care of their specific need.  

We are told in Revelation that our prayers are offered as golden bowls of incense before Jesus on His throne. I really can’t just throw out my prayers like confetti when they are to be offered before my Lord. I need to remember that I am in the throne room of God when I am presenting my petitions to Him and I must certainly be reverent. Oh yes, I have let laziness in my prayers sneak into my life. 

It always is the little things that make the difference be they darling little babies or irritating little habits.  As always, if I take the time to nurture the little good I have acquired it will mature and bless me. And, if I nip at the bad sneaking in while it is still little I will immeasurably benefit in becoming more like Christ – because that is what God asks of me.

ED. NOTE: Amy Patsch writes from Ocean City. Email her at writerGoodGod@gmail.com.