Life lessons from a rat

We just wrapped up Term II for homeschool and our artist has been J.J. Audubon. As part of our artist study, we read the book A Nest for Celeste over the last 12 weeks. It is an adventure packed work of fiction that follows the life of a little mouse {Celeste} as she builds a relationship with J.J. Audubon’s budding apprentice, Joseph.

As we finished up the last few chapters this week, I was struck by how much I was impacted by one of the characters in the story. Trixie the rat  is a “friend” of Celeste but it is a particularly one sided relationship from the get go. Trixie manipulates and abuses Celeste into doing basically whatever she wants. In this specific chapter, Trixie comes out of nowhere and moves herself right in to Celeste’s new home and demands that Celeste go find her food. In the dialogue that follows, Trixie discovers a small basket that Celeste had recently woven together so that she can go flying with her Osprey friend, Lafayette. Celeste tells Trixie all about her flying adventures. Trixie immediately calls Celeste a liar and then demands that if such an event occurred, then surely Lafayette wouldn’t mind taking her out to fly as well.

Celeste is apprehensive at first but ultimately gives in to the relentless demands of her friend. Layfayette eventually agrees to take Trixie for a ride but since she is much bigger than Celeste, the gondola does not fit her very well. As she tries to squeeze herself in, she criticizes Celeste for her poor basket making abilities and complains that she made it too small.

After finally getting as much of herself into the basket as she can, she turns around and yells at the Osprey to hurry up already and take her out for a flying trip. Lafayette struggles trying to carry Trixie in the basket but he manages to work up enough height and speed to make the flight. The entire time Trixie is screaming at him for “going to fast”, “going too high”, “flapping too hard”, and so on.

He is flying during the early morning and decides to take her over the river for the best view. Lafayette describes the sun reflecting off the clouds making them appear as pink, orange, and gold puffs. It is a beautiful sight and he makes every effort to point it out to Trixie. Trixie, on the other hand, has decided she is not impressed what so ever. She insists that Lafayette turn around at once, because flying is making her queasy and the basket is just too stuffy. She makes the comment that Celeste better have breakfast ready for her by the time she arrives home. Lafayette agrees to turn back and gently turns the basket around. By this point, Trixie is at the end of her patience and shouts at Lafayette to hurry up while she yanks on the gondola strap sharply to help make her point. As she does so, the strap breaks and the basket gives way, tossing her down into the river where she is no longer seen or heard from again.

———————-

As we read through those few scenes, I couldn’t help but feel a deep conviction penetrate my heart.

I am Trixie.

How often do my husband and kids see me behave this way? More often than I would like to admit. Is this how I want to be remembered? Is this behavior furthering Christ’s Kingdom? Not in the least.

I have an incredible life. My husband loves me. My kids bless my life in every way imaginable. We have a beautiful house with heat and A/C, a fridge and pantry stocked with food, and family and friends who would do anything for us. But more than all of that, I have a Savior who loves me so much that he came and died for me.

In spite of all of these things, I choose to focus on my tight little basket. My daily annoyances, the laundry, the dishes, the tantrum throwing children, the lack of sleep, the physical pain of chronic illness and so on and so forth. I am so consumed with the tyranny of the urgent that I lose sight of the sunrise or the way the clouds reflect the beautiful rays of the sun. Instead of focusing on the river and trees lining the scenery, I only see mist. I am Trixie.

Here I am on this breath taking ride and instead of enjoying the view, I am so wrapped up in my own self that I can’t even allow myself to enjoy it. I complain. I criticize. I yank on my own little string when things don’t get done my way quite fast enough.

“The wisest of women builds her house, but folly with her own hands tears it down.” Proverbs 14:1

We only get one life to live.

That’s it, folks.

So the question is, will I continue to live like Trixie or will I see the freedom and beauty surrounding me like Lafayette the Osprey?

It is time for me to lay down the bondage that I heap upon my own shoulders each and every day and openly accept the sweet grace, mercy, and freedom that Christ alone offers. I need to stop focusing on the temporal and instead fix my gaze upon the eternal. The Lord is beckoning me to see the beauty in His creation, to smell, to taste, to love, to live, to look past my comfort zone and take in the entire panorama view.

His purpose is so much more than the confines of my stuffy little basket.

I need only to lift my eyes.

“Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling,  for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain.  But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you.  So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.” Philippians 2:12-18