Out Of Place Things

I heard a mouse in our family room.
The sound was coming from behind the wall.
The thought of a mouse in my wall is a bit disconcerting.
Maybe the mouse will make his way up to the attic.

It is getting cold outside.
It is the season of mice.
It is the season when the mice want to come in out of the cold.
Behind the wall, near the warm fireplace, on the way to the attic is not the best route.

We had a bird in our garage.
Like the mouse, it flew in to get out of the cold.
There are many places a bird can remain relatively hidden.
High on the shelves, in the galvanized tin basin, behind the bucket, it remains unseen.

A bird has flown into our house quite a few times.
It perched itself on the Christmas wreath that was on the front door.
When the front door was opened the bird flew inside.
It took over an hour of strategizing to get the bird out of our house.

We contained the bird in a small closet near our back staircase.
We rigged blankets to make a temporary wall and we closed off all bedroom doors.
The bird had only one way it could fly and two possible doors it could fly through.
We opened both doors and it flew out the one that led to our front lawn.

Out of place things.
Things that are not supposed to be where they are.
Things that find their way into strange locations.
Things that have to find their way out again.

About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles of the earth and birds of the air. Then a voice told him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.” “Surely not, Lord,” Peter replied. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.” The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” This happened three times and immediately the sheet was taken back into heaven. (Acts 10:9-16)

Cornelius was a centurion in the Italian Regiment.
He was a Gentile God-fearer: he kept the hours of prayer and gave to those in need.
The only thing a God-fearer would not submit to, was ritual circumcision.
One day, Cornelius had a vision where he was told to go to Joppa to find Peter.

Joppa was a city where Peter was staying with Simon who was a tanner.
A tanner is obviously a Gentile profession since tanners worked with animal skins.
A Jew could not touch dead animals since that rendered them unclean.
Peter was on the roof because a tanner usually lived by the sea with its cool breezes.

Through the Spirit, Peter was aware that men were coming to meet him.
When Cornelius’ men came to the door looking for Peter, he invited them in as his guests.
Peter did what he was not supposed to do: he invited Gentiles into the house as his guest.
Peter, prompted by the Spirit, knew he should go to Cornelius’ house with the men.

When they arrived and Peter entered the house, he explained things.
“You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with a Gentile or visit him. But God has shown me that I should not call any man impure or unclean. So when I was sent for, I came without raising any objection.” (Acts 10:28,29)

Out of place things.
Things that are not supposed to be where they are.
Things that find their way into strange locations.
All because of God.

God guides and directs His people to various places so that others may know Him better.
We are all out of place.
We are not supposed to be here.
We were made for another city, a city whose architect and builder is God. (Hebrews 11:10)

We are strangers and aliens here.
We are out of place here until He brings us Home.
While we are here, we are to tell others about the City with Foundations.
The City where there will be no more pain and no more tears; the city where God is there.

We have to find our way out again.
We cannot find the way out on our own.
Jesus is the Way.
Jesus came to a place HE was not supposed to be, so we can get back Home.

Home: the Place we were created to be with the Father, forever.

 

2 responses to “Out Of Place Things”

1. Nice story, Gina! If only people would realize that our time here in this life on earth is so short compared to eternity. That would help so many endure the sad things on earth–the promise that through Jesus we will spend a wonderful eternity on a resurrected earth with our heavenly Father, our savior Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, as well as with our loved ones. We need to keep focusing on that! It’s what has made Don’s death bearable–the knowledge that I will see him again!

   Reply

   • Amen, Sue. My prayer is that these simple stories always point people to Jesus.
     Gina

     Reply