MATT’S MISHAPS | West Bend News
“Serving overseas as a small-town boy in America has been intense, stressful and humorous! Enjoy a light-hearted story with me from our last 20 years overseas!”
—Matt
Furry Christmas Gift
My shoes were always checked and shaken up when I was a child. They were then put on in the winter. My shoes were sometimes used as sleeping bags by mice. One time, I was watching my grandpa milk the cow, and he suddenly started running and dancing. The little baby mice living in the barn’s roof above his head began falling from their nest. They fell right down the back of his shirt collar, down his back, and were squirming around & stuck in his overalls.
Living overseas means that your car must be parked in a garage below ground with a large closet behind it. All the extra junk that doesn’t fit in the little apartment goes in that little storage space.
When I went down to the vehicle, I discovered liquid beneath it. I lifted the hood to find that the brake fluid line was cut in half. On showing the mechanic, he said, “Oh, that was a rat! They will chew through anything and have teeth of steel.” We fixed the brake fluid line and I never thought more of it.
When I had to get Christmas decorations out of my storage space, it was time for me to take a look through the boxes before lifting them up. I was surprised to find that the contents of one of my boxes had been opened and agitated. The furry culprit was found at the bottom. It was a large, dead furry rat. I concluded that his brake fluid was what had sent him to the cardboard casket.
It is bad for husbands and wives to keep secrets from each other. However, I didn’t tell my wife that a rat was at rest in a box with her favorite family Christmas ornaments. I don’t think she could see Grandma’s ornaments hanging on the Christmas tree, without thinking about the rat if she knew.
I’d guess barns and stables and garages haven’t changed purpose that much. These are places we use every day to store our stuff. However, they can also attract unwanted critters. It is likely that the stable at Bethlehem had many of these same unwelcome critters, which speaks volumes to the humility of our Messiah King, who came to save us.
Has something like this ever happened to you? Send me a message and I will be happy to hear about your story.
[email protected] Matt’s Mishaps, PO BOX 114, Grabill, IN 46741