They Think They Own the Place

January 25, 2022 by  
Filed under Daily Devotions

By Charlotte Riegel –

Last summer we moved from a large (5 bedroom, 4 level split) house to a small 2 bedroom bungalow. After a great deal of downsizing we squeezed our still-too-many-belongings into our wee new home. It’s actually not that small, but to us it seems very tiny. I’m delighted to have only one bathroom instead of three to keep clean, and grateful for only two bedrooms to keep tidy… if you stretch it a bit, actually only one, the guest bedroom. In anticipation of this move, I also looked forward to a much smaller house to dust and vacuum.

Alas, even the smaller space is proving challenging, mostly because we have no carpets. I have good equipment, even a house vac to use on hard floors, and a variety of mops that work very well. Nevertheless, getting down to floor level to capture the notorious dust bunnies that hide everywhere is proving more challenging than I anticipated. During the summer, I basically ignored them, but once the weather kept me inside more, they began to taunt me. “Catch me if you can” they seemed to be calling as they swirled around, seemingly dancing with glee as I caught one but saw two more skitter under a couch.

I conceded defeat in my ability to control this menace and hired a young, agile, college student to spend an hour a week, vacuuming and dusting. She admitted to having worked in a hotel for a while so knew how to capture my little enemies. Then the holidays arrived and she went home. Since we were gone for several days as well I was surprised by how quickly the dust bunnies returned and took over. They are relentless and seem to insist they own this space and have a right to be here. Not so, say I, and begin to sweep my mops around finding as many as I can until my housekeeper returns to capture the many who continue to hide in difficult to access places.

As I hunt down these household enemies I am reminded to be on the alert for the enemy of my soul, who also seeks to invade my space whenever I let down my guard. One dares not take a spiritual vacation for, like the dust bunnies, he and his cohorts sneak in and gleefully occupy, causing a dirty mess of life.

PRAYER: Thank You, Lord, for all Your provisions to help me keep my spiritual house clean and in order. I desire to be on the alert for invaders who choose to rob me of a life pleasing to You. Sound the alarm when they show up and grant me courage and forthrightness to remove them swiftly. Amen.

“Be alert, be on watch! Your enemy, the Devil, roams around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Be firm in your faith and resist him, because you know that other believers in all the world are going through the same kind of sufferings. But after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who calls you to share His eternal glory in union with Christ, will himself perfect you and give you firmness, strength, and a sure foundation. To Him be the power forever! Amen”(1 Peter 5: 8-11 GNT).

About Charlotte Riegel

Charlotte Riegel is a freelance writer recently moved from a large metropolitan city to a wee rural community in Western Canada. Some call it retirement. She calls it 're-tire' ment as she explores new avenues of written and visual expression while assisting her husband in establishing a business in the tourist industry.
  • Advertisement

Speak Your Mind

Tell us what you're thinking...
and oh, if you want a pic to show with your comment, go get a gravatar!


Prove You\'re Human: *