The Warrior And The Mice

The Warrior and the Mice

When Ahab got home, he told Jezebel everything Elijah had done, including the way he had killed all the prophets of Baal. So Jezebel sent this message to Elijah: “May the gods strike me and even kill me if by this time tomorrow I have not killed you just as you killed them.”

Elijah was afraid and fled for his life.

1 Kings 19:1-3

It was a sparkling, sunny day, with a deep-blue sky and cool, crisp air. My husband, Bill, decided it was a perfect day to cut the chest-high grass in the vacant lot next to our house. We had been seeing signs of mice—it was definitely time to get rid of their habitat.

I could see Bill from the kitchen window, going back and forth through the high grass. I thought about the mice and shuddered, but Bill was not afraid of a few mice; they would not slow him down. I listened to the putter of the mower and heard it stop and then start again. Looking out, I noticed Bill was gone, but I could still hear the mower running.

Where is Bill, and why is the mower running? I wondered.

I went outside and found him passed out on the ground. Our neighbor noticed what was happening and came over, stopped the mower, and helped me get Bill up. Bill’s hand was bleeding, but fortunately he was not hurt badly. When the mower had stopped earlier, Bill had banged his knuckles on the mower trying to get it started again.

Yes, my big, six-foot-three, mice-killing he-man had passed out at the sight of his own blood. Bill was prepared to chase the mice, but he was not prepared to see his own blood.

—Marty Prudhomme

Dear Lord, prepare me for the battles of your choosing. Let me be ready at all times to walk in the fear of the Lord and to not be afraid of anything else. Amen.