The fleas, thank God for the fleas!

It was hot, summer never seemed so hot in my beloved Texas! I was never really in a position to experience physical labor and high temperatures at the same time in my beloved Texas either, so that might explain why Port Clinton, Ohio in August seemed hotter than Texas ever was! God led us to Port Clinton from our idyllic life in the great state of Texas. Well we were working hard, working to get all of our belongings organized and sorted in the storefront that would be Lake Point Baptist Church. At the moment it was proving to be a holding place for everything that we own.
We had moved a few weeks after my husband decided that PC was going to be the location for the brand new church God was calling him to plant. Upon our arrival in Ohio we found a downtown storefront that happened to have two one-bedroom apartments above it, that we could renovate to a single family home. We, along with our family and some friends, worked through the record breaking hot summer, with no a/c upstairs! But after 3 months of demolition and restoration, we were finally getting carpet installed, which meant, we would soon be moving in. Todd and the boys spent the day there while the carpet was being installed, while Bree and myself stayed at my in-laws where we were staying temporarily.

Then, as Todd and the boys were checking out the new carpet, it happened! Fleas! Somehow somewhere fleas had thoroughly infested my oldest son, Jake! We don't know how or where, we just knew that it was terrible! I insisted that they immediately eradicate these horrible pests! So the boy had to shower at the building that had no hot water yet. Many times, as they would not be dismissed, even with flea shampoo! The exterminator was deployed, every nook and cranny, (keep in mind all our clothes, furniture, everything we owned was a possible nursery for these blood-sucking vermin) The men-folk complied with my request for them to stay in Port Clinton as to not spread the infestation. It was very traumatic, but after a just to be safe return visit from "Spyder-Ray", the exterminator, we have never seen another flea in the building. (or any manner of pest for that manner)

Just before the move, I had read The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom. It was such an inspirational story! I really was in awe of not only Corrie's faith and strength, but in her sister Betsy's "super-faith"! These two sisters were arrest along with their father for hiding Jew's in their home during the Holocaust. They were prisoners at Ravensbruck Concentration Camp. The conditions of the barracks was deplorable! They were so overcrowded that Corrie wrote about the danger of being crushed to death by the crowded top bunks collapsing onto the women below. Not only were they over crowded, this particular barrack was infested with fleas!

Betsy had a Bible, and would read it with other prisoners whenever possible, one day as they read they came to this verse; "Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing."In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." 1 Thessalonians 5:18 Betsy said, "Corrie, we've got to give thanks for this barracks and even for these fleas." Corrie replied, "No way am I going to thank God for fleas." But Betsy was persuasive, and they did thank God even for the fleas.

They heard of the nightly raids the guards had on the other barracks, but theirs was left relatively free from the guards, and they could do Bible study, talk openly, and even pray in the barracks. It was their only place of refuge. Corrie reflects later that she realized the reason the guards never entered their barracks was because of those blasted fleas.

I had thought about that back in August, and I did thank God for the fleas, but like Corrie, at the time I didn't know why, other than it was God's will for me.

A few nights ago, I heard a noise...my heart sank, my stomach turned, and instantly became a ball of knots! A Mouse! I hate mice! I was paralyzed, as I have been before, when a mouse has been in the same room as me...I woke my husband, who I swear is never sleeping! (he wakes so easily) He heard it too, a crinkle crunch of a rodent chewing in the corner of our bedroom! I told him to turn on the light! He did, and saw nothing. Upon further investigation the wind was blowing and the plastic I put over the windows to keep the draft out was making the noise....Whew! I don't know how I could ever live in a house with mice! I am so terrified of them, I would never be able to sleep for fear they would crawl on me!

Thanking God that it wasn't a mouse, I said to my husband...."Don't you think it is weird that there is no mice in this building? This is a very old building, downtown, that was in great disrepair when we found it. It really should be a home to mice, rats, stray cats....squirrels...something!" Then I remembered that Spyder-Ray said he threw everything he had at this place when he eradicated our building of the fleas. Could it be that God knew how I felt about mice, so he used fleas to safeguard my home against them? Wow! I am still thanking God for the fleas! (I hope poor Jake can see it like I do)

THANK GOD FOR FLEAS Can you thank God for the fleas in your life?