I just love getting the mail. My children…the adult ones….they will even make fun of me at times. “Don’t come between mom and her mail!”

So on this beautiful, early summer day, I opened up the mail box and pulled out my mail. I took a second glance and noticed that there was something in the back of the mail box.   It appeared to be a shredded letter. I pulled out a half shredded envelope and that is when I saw movement……….yes, it was a mouse!!!!

Yikes! Surprisingly I didn’t scream. I stepped back and realized a mouse was building its nest in the very back of my mailbox with a letter it had shredded.

This shredding of a letter and nest building had to have happened very overnight. I check my mail every day!

I quickly called my husband and informed him of the situation. I told him that his job was to clean out the mailbox and get that mouse out ASAP!

He did clean it out when he got home but the mouse was gone.   He closed up the mailbox tightly and I thought well…….not sure how that mouse got in…….but it won’t come back. It had already eaten one of my precious pieces of mail and its nest had been destroyed.

A day came and went and so did the mail……..no mouse.

Another day came, and that mouse had returned……another nest and another piece of destroyed mail!

This time a trap was set on Saturday night….don’t need to trap the mailman! That could be a federal offense!

On Sunday afternoon, my husband pulls out the trap……….the mouse had sprung the trap!

Finally I called in reinforcements, a very kind gentleman who repairs lots of stuff for me. Because here on Rocky Top, the preacher man……well let’s just say I do not allow him to use tools. His track record is abysmal! Repairman says….well you have a hole in your mailbox and the lid doesn’t shut properly. So he made the necessary repairs!

Last few days……..NO MOUSE! But I won’t lie, every time I approach the mailbox now I am a little bit cautious!

I wonder if Laura Numeroff, author of If You Give a Mouse a Cookie…, has considered If you give a mouse a letter??

The premise of her books is when you give a mouse something, he just wants more…something else.

My husband goes on overseas mission trips often to minister to those who risk their life daily to share Christ, men and women who don’t have a nice, comfortable nest. The trips are risky; they are not safe.

When Preacher goes on trips like these sometimes I don’t understand why! Oh I know he feels called to minister. I know he loves adventure and serving Christ on the cutting edge.

But doesn’t he want comfort and safety, a nice nest with nice stuff.

I do…….I am like that mouse! I just want to find a comfortable place to build my nest and have my life!

If you will just give me some of that comfort, I tend to just want to keep getting more and more! I have fear issues…….trust issues!

Christ calls me to the EDGE……….He called me to Rocky Top living so that I may experience HIM……not comfort and safety.

In Genesis 14 God is called El Elyon for the first time……The Most High God…The Sovereign God. He wants me to find my safety and comfort in Him, not in my nest of things and comfortable routines. He wants me to trust His sovereignty……..to know that He will be my shield, my defender, my provider.

When I choose to stay in my nest, my comfort zone I lose out on knowing God as the Most High God…the God who is in control, who is Sovereign. Preacher man says “Bravery is a person to know not a goal to achieve!” I John 4:18 says “Perfect love casts out fear!” If I love Him, if I trust Him, I will not fear!

When I risk, when I let go, when I leave the nest…….then I can experience God as Abraham experienced Him in Genesis! “Do not be afraid, Donna, I am your shield, your very great reward.” Genesis 15:1

I refuse to be a mouse clinging to my nest……….I am a daughter of the Most High God!