There were things that happened that we had never encountered before, and the compilation of the events led to what could have been a very stressful week.
Here's what happened:
Monday- This was our 2nd wedding anniversary, praise the Lord, but Aaron and I saw each other for a total of 2 hours the whole day, and had maybe 30 minutes one on one to catch up on life and open a few cards/presents from family. We did get to celebrate the weekend before, which was great, but I learned very quickly that the chaos of missionary life does not slow down for special occasions.
Wednesday- For the second time in a few days, I walked into our kitchen to find our bananas from the fruit bowl torn open and half eaten. When we put the pieces together, we realized that we have some sort of rodent who is attacking our bananas at night, and reeking other types of havoc in our kitchen. Not exactly the most comforting thought when you're trying to sleep at night! Two days later, I walked into the darkened kitchen to see a huge rat scurrying under the dishwasher. Three nights of rodent traps and contraptions later, we still have not caught the banana bandit.
Thursday- Little George was happily eating his lunch when he charmingly convinced me to give him my empty water glass to play with. I remained next to him while he pretended to drink out of it "like a big boy," but a brief phone call pulled my attention away for a few seconds, only to hear a tremendous crash of glass all over the kitchen floor. Everyone was okay (except for the water glass), but I was literally finding shards of glass two rooms away, and it took me three very meticulous cleanings of the floor to make sure I got everything up; all while leaving the antsy toddler strapped to his high chair.
Friday- I returned home from a morning meeting to find Aaron checking our online banking account, where he discovered a suspicious transaction of $200 on our account from the day before. He had to run out the door the next minute, so I called the bank, only to discover another pending suspicious transaction for the same amount. Thankfully, it was quick enough that the bank was able to shut everything down and credit our account with the stolen money. But identity theft was definitely not something we were planning on for our week!
In an attempt to make light of the events, I sent a text message to my parents relaying the rodent problem and the bank account fraud, then ended it by saying: "we are still trying to figure out whether these events are related." They didn't find it amusing, but Aaron and I did. The thought that perhaps the same rat who is eating our bananas decided to steal our debit card information and charge $400 of medical expenses is quite comical. But the reality of the stressful week was anything but.
However, as I processed the week's happenings on Friday night, I made a sudden but certain realization. It would have been very easy to look at any of the single events of the week, let alone the culmination of them, and get very discouraged. To feel "wronged" by the world. For Aaron and I to be angry at each other. But we didn't let it get to us. Even in the moment, when I was cleaning shards of glass up from the floor, God gave me enough grace to be thankful that I had the time to be at home and take care of the mess, and that George didn't get injured. Or when discovering the bank account fraud, I was moreso relieved to have a husband who combs through out bank account every week to make sure things are in order. The rat? Oddly enough, the mystery of trying to catch the "banana bandit" has brought Aaron and I closer together, because this out-of-the ordinary thing is way better when we can weather it together.
Furthermore, when looking at the graces of the week from a ministry standpoint, the Lord truly blessed our mission here in many ways this past week. Sometimes, when things are at their worst or most chaotic, that is when God chooses to bring about the greatest fruit in a different area of our lives. "For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens. Therefore, put on the armor of God, that you may be able to resist on the evil day and, having done everything, to hold your ground" (Ephesians 6:12-13). Am I saying that the rats eating our bananas are actually demons? No. But what I am saying is that the devil will use every little bump in the road to tempt us into discouragement. The best thing we can do to resist this? Put on the armor of God through prayer, Mass, Confession, and community/accountability with those closest in our lives. And, just like our sweet little George, who dressed up like St. George for All Saints' Day yesterday, when you put on the armor of God, you will be able to slay any "dragons" that come your way (and hopefully some rats, too!).
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| Our St. George and his Dragon friend on All Saints' Day |
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