Lessons from a mouse
While I lay on my couch last Friday, I was greeted by a shadow like creature that scampered across my living room floor. It was furry, about 6 inches long with the tail and squeaked. I immediately called by wife and let her know that “Mickey” had come to visit but I assured her that his stay would not be long. For a couple of days, we had seen the evidence that “Mickey” had come to visit; there were droppings and we had heard noises during the night coming from the cabinets, but we had not made visual contact. Yet, we knew that ‘Mickey’ was there and taking up residence in our kitchen.
So many times, we, Christians, are no different than “Mickey”. People know we are there because there is evidence but they have no true visual contact. They might see a tract let on a table or in a bathroom but they never see us and when they do it is a flash of protest, or shadowy visit, or they hear our religious speak yet never understand the Christianese that we use. I want people to know me, you, us and more importantly, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. That cannot be done by living in secret; we must do that out in the open.
I have been told that one of the best ways to catch, “Mickey” will be to place traps along the edge of the inside of my cabinets so that while “Mickey” is sneaking around in the shadows during the night, he will be caught. The best way to catch a Christian in America is to go to church and introduce yourself to them. That should not be the case, because we are no different than “Mickey” when we hide in a church building instead of being the Church in the world. Christians should be caught in Wal-Mart, the gas station, in traffic, at school, at the game, at home when no one is watching. Christianity is only passed on by direct contact with people who do not know or do not believe, we must move out of the shadows and night in the Church and walk in the light.
True Christianity is an outward expression of an inward change. Our lives, our words, our actions, and our attitudes should help us to shine a light for the whole world to see. Matthew 5:16
So how do we do that? How can we move from the shadows and the confinement of the church building and live in front of others and leave more than scant evidence that we have been there? In what ways do you see your own life mimicking “Mickey’s”?
