THE RAT RACE

[Close The Door To Burn Out]

It is New Year’s Eve going into 2004 and my newly married son just called, asking me if he and his wife could come right over. I am thinking, "That’s a strange question, since when does a son call and ask his mom if he could come over? Something must be up."

He proceeded to tell me that our precious daughter in law had just opened the glove box and there was a huge, live wood rat staring her in the face. She screamed and jumped out of the car the same instant. This scared the rat so badly that somehow it ran behind the sealed dashboard and now they didn’t know what to do.

They had spent Christmas with her folks, a few hours south of here. The house was in a wooded area and it must have come in from the cold, then bummed a ride on their trip home. Just overnight, it managed to shred paper, chew the car seat, eat the Christmas snacks, poop, and make a nest inside the glove box.

I wondered if the Lord was wanting to say something to me since I had just read about the rats in Iraq and how they are scaring people and even biting them. It was quickened to me that sometimes the Lord warns us through negative parables, (rats are unclean in the scriptures) so I prayed and asked Him what He was saying. He answered my prayer the following morning.

I woke New Year’s Day to a beautiful carpet of snow. We don’t get a lot of snow around here so this was a special treat and I wished I had not put away my new unfinished Christmas puzzle the night before. I would have enjoyed doing it on the window table with such beauty surrounding me. But last night, I felt I would be wasting time by doing puzzles and besides that, I wanted to get ahead in the Ears2Hear posts so I could take some time off. {I won’t tell you how many times the Lord has told me throughout the years not to rush, rush, rush so I can rest, rest, rest…}

I had just completed another series and was praying about upcoming Ears2Hear. As I was going through rhema, I opened a directory that was quickened to me and my eye landed on the following entry:

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SANDY RHEMA

HEARD: Slow down. Pause. Take a break.

QUICKENED GLANCE: My eye fell upon the following comic. Often when the Lord talks to me, He draws my eye to something when at the same time I am thinking about something of similar context. He quickens where my eye lands and His personal Word is revealed to me. This is one of my most favorite ways to hear Him, - through quickened eye glances.

QUICKENED COMIC: [From Family Circus] Billy's Dad, with brief case in hand, is walking out the door. He says, "It's off to the rat race." So little Billy, school books in hand, goes out the door and says, "It's off to the mouse race!"

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OK Lord, You have my thorough attention. The rat in the car… our cars, or any kind of transportation, are our symbols of either our ministries or our relationships with You. Yes, once again you got me. TAKE TIME and enjoy the moments of every day, WITH You… enjoy Your daily benefits.

Ps 68:19 KJV

Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.

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I have decided that this post is a keeper and so I am "busy" working on The Rat Race, (and enjoying it). "Ring, ring, ring." …

It was my Sonshine. He has just reported that they now have one "foot long" DEAD rat. Praise the Lord! Further more he said that at midnight (New Year’s Eve) their car alarm went off. It must have been the rat. Well Lord, we got Your alarming message, loud and clear. Thank You for loving us enough to alert our attention with negative parables. Open our ears to hear You in all the ways You speaks to us.

Prov 1:2-7 NKJV

To know wisdom and instruction, to perceive the words of understanding, to receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, judgment, and equity; To give prudence to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion -- A wise man will hear and increase learning, And a man of understanding will attain wise counsel, to understand a proverb and an enigma, the words of the wise and their riddles. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

THE RAT STORY CONTINUES

Wayne warned him that it might be a good idea to set another trap. We were all surprised at that idea. Nevertheless, our son set another trap. The car alarm again went off in the middle of the night and guess what? Another dead rat waiting for him in the morning. When the Lord really wants to get our attention, He usually doubles the message. Loud and clear, stay out of the rat race and take time to pause and rest in Him.

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PAST RHEMA ABOUT RATS

Years ago, someone asked me if I would like to be a part of their ministry. This person was getting about 1-6 hours of sleep a day and working nonstop. I felt that it was a trap to get me off course. The Lord confirmed it by giving me a yucky rat dream.

People often quote the following scripture but don’t stop to apply it in context. To me, this scripture says that He sends dreams to warn us about going in a certain direction, or even warns us regarding our motives.

Job 33:15-17 KJV

In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed; Then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction, that he may withdraw man from his purpose, and hide pride from man.

After the rat dream, another confirmation came when I was listening to a sermon about slowing down and learning to rest from undue stress. He was saying that it was very important to the Lord for Him to have put resting on the Sabbath in the 10 commandments. He mentioned that over-stressed people can’t even sleep. He said those who run the rat race, end up being a rat!

HEARD: Hey, busy believer, what can I say? Life style, slow down. Relationship. Cast your care.

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CONCLUSION

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{Words to Ponder are summaries of His quickened Words}

WORD TO PONDER CATCH THE RAT

Beloved, I do love your passion and zeal for life. And I especially love your enjoyment of the ministry to which I have called you. However, you get knocked off kilter when your goals became ambitions merely for the pursuit of getting them done. It is further awry when you are hurrying to finish so that you can go play.

In a busy world, so often you forget about our relationship. When you slow down, you learn to listen to what I have to say through your daily life. You learn to enjoy the moments of every day, instead of pushing your way through them, so you can enjoy the end of the day.

Do not get caught in a rat race of speeding forward. Rather, take it a day at a time knowing I have a perfect timing and a way to fulfill everything. Remember to pause and listen. I may quicken a particular thought and draw your eye to land upon something that sheds light on that same thought. Often, where I draw your eyes, are answers to questions you have prayed. If you are so goal oriented that you miss all the scenery in your day’s journey, life becomes a maze and a rat trap. Slow down, and learn to pause. Take what you are doing at the moment and turn your heart towards Me. I may have something very special to say to you.

"And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word." (Luke 10:39 KJV)