A Lesson from "The Borrowers"

We had so much fun reading "My Father's Dragon" at bedtime the last few nights - that I started in on one of my favorite books "The Borrowers" by Mary Norton. This book tells the tale of Pod & Homily Clock and their daughter Arrietty. They live underneath the kitchen floor in an old house. To quote the back cover of my book "Whatever the clocks need they simply 'borrow' from the 'human beans' who live above them."

Last night I began the tale. On page 9, we listen to Mrs May tell part of her tale. The tale from her brother's visit to the old house. "They thought human beings were just invented to do the dirty work - great slaves put there for them to use. At least that's what they told each other. But my brother said that, underneath, he thought they were frightened. It was because they were frightened, he thought, that they had grown so small. Each generation had become smaller and smaller, and more and more hidden. In the olden days, it seems, and in some parts of England, our ancesters talked quite openly abut the 'little people.'"

You have to understand that Mini-Me is a bit melancholy. She's logical and tends to over think things. I admit it, She get's the over -thinking from me. It's really bad when she's tired. I'm praying that she has the joy of the Lord and that He turns her powers for good. *L* She comes to me after we read the first chapter and she's crying.

"I don't think I like this book after all. It's giving me the creeps."
"Why?" I want to know -- immediately thinking that I shouldn't have started a new book at bed time and wondered: "Is it too late to switch to 'Mr. Popper's Penguins'"?

The Professor reminds her of the cartoon The Littles and I show her the drawings in the book. She understands that. And it finally comes out.

She didn't like the comment about them getting smaller. Of the entire first chapter, that is what she grabbed ahold of?? And I wasn't sure she was paying attention.

We get the tears to stop and she's willing to give the book another try tomorrow.

I'm sitting down at the computer, the Professor is in the other room, Mini-Me comes back. Tears again. "I wonder, do we shrink when we get scared?"

OOooooo!! This could preach!! So I stand up from my chair and told her "No, we don't shrink. Physically. But spiritually, we do."

I stood and pointed to the carpet around me. This is my territory. What happens is that we get scared from the enemy - and we take a step back. Or two steps back. And that's called "shrinking back." And when we step back, the enemy takes over our territory.

So we don't physically shrink - but we can spiritually.

I took a step forward. What happens is we start taking our territory back from the enemy.
I reminded her of my favorite lesson (So far) to teach my children's church kids -- God doesn't give us a spirit of fear but ???"

power. She responds.

Oh - no. Gotta say it like you mean it. And you gotta show muscle. God doesn't give us a spirit of fear but ???

Power. she says and she shows me muscles. Her eyes are twinkling again - her tears have stopped and she hopps back to bed.

And I'm left with a "Wow" moment. I'm left with a children's book -- and a "This could preach" moment. How does it apply to me??

I have fears. I really do. I just don't talk about them, because a) I think they're silly and b) I really believe in the power of the spoken word so I just choose not to talk about them. Believing that God and I will deal with them in time.

Probably more on His timing than mine. I'm all for keeping my flesh and not crucifying it. He seems to want to get rid of the useless stuff.....*Sigh*

A few of my fears: I have the fear of failing. (Which He has told me that Failure is NOT in His vocabulary -- so that's become a lesser fear)

I have a fear of screwing up my kids beyond repair.

I also have the fear of heights - but that, I think, is a healthy fear. Keeps me off of wobbly ladders.

So now I'm looking around, wondering, have I given any territory away by shrinking back??
Maybe. I have to admit that just maybe I have. But I feel the fire of the Holy Spirit burning in me. I'm taking back that territory. It's mine and I'm selfish. I want it back.

I'll keep you posted.

I wonder what other lessons we're going to learn from the Borrowers? I'll keep you posted on that, too.