Last week while on our walk, the girls found this baby mouse. We had tremendous storms the night before and I imagine that this baby probably fell off Mama’s back and wasn’t noticed during her panic. My first response was to tell the girls not to touch him. Rats and mice do carry diseases, right? Then, since I am every bit as curious as my girls I squatted down to take a closer look.
Sometimes, he would curl up in a fetal position, sometimes he would stretch, and often he would scratch. He didn’t seem to know that he was vulnerable. He had no idea that he was laying on rock, a stone’s throw from swiftly running water, under a railroad trestle. As I watched him stretch and scratch and grimace I thought how much like a human infant he was – his Mama would have thought he was adorable if she had the intellectual abilities that humans have. (And so I tried to take pictures of him that a Mama mouse would love to hang on her den wall).
I thought I would like to try to help him. However, I realized that to a creature as small as he was we would be terrifyingly immense, assuming the poor creature could even comprehend us. I also realized that I wouldn’t have the faintest idea how to help the poor creature. Somehow, I began to see a lot of our relationship with God in the poor creature’s oblivious vulnerability.
If God had peers, I am sure they would wonder why He wastes his time on such ugly, blind, weak creatures as us. And if we could truly comprehend Him we would be terrified. Yet He knows how to help us. He cradles us gently, comforts us, teaches us about our vulnerability and then tells us we are safe. And we know we are safe because God, took the time to love and care for ugly, blind, weak creatures. He showed us what we are but then tells us its okay, I will help you and care for you, if you will simply ask.
wonderful comparison as to how God would look at us if he was not the God of Love...and how he does cradle us in his arms to keep us safe...
ReplyDeletewhat did you decide to do with the little mouse by the way ?
We left it. I was afraid that trying to save it would be to torture it. I considered 'mercy' killing but I do not have the stomach for that. My husband thought that perhaps Mama would come back. I hope so. We didn't find a corpse when we visited the spot today.
ReplyDeletePoor little thing.
ReplyDeleteThoughtful perspective.
Beautiful post and pics.
ReplyDeleteWonderful picture and wonderful analogy. I hope the little thing survived.
ReplyDeletea very lovely post... and beautifully vulnerable pictures.
ReplyDeleteThis was wonderful Me, these images will stay with me for a long time, they come from such a deep place.
ReplyDeleteBut i do have to also add... if God had peers i think they would actually be drawn closer to us in our vulnerability, just like you drew closer to the mouse. Vulnerability i feel is meant to draw, not repel, it is only we who have twisted that.
When i think of Godlikeness, i think of compassion and care at the forefront of divinity, especially for the most vulnerable. Had "God's peers" not had that (if they had to "wonder why He wastes his time on such ugly, blind, weak creatures as us) then frankly i wouldnt consider them God's peers at all.
Even when God did things that seem destructive (the Flood etc) i feel in my gut that the bigger picture was to proect the vulnerable in the end (earth was overrun with wickedness utterly destroying the vulnerable in Noahs time, the future looked bleaker than bleak and needed his help).
Anyway, just thoughts. I am very moved by your pictures Me...
Paix,
Wendy
is is just beautiful--photos and commentary. Thank you.
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