Sneaky like a mouse

Today I put my thoughts where our country and our world lie in the grand scheme of life.  While we tend to feel victory here in America, the reality of evil still looms our nation's as a whole.  He still walks the earth, an evil so great he will not take a form or a shape for our eyes to focus on.  Night vision goggles cannot detect his movement, nor is there a human sniper trained to wipe out his existence.  We carry on our day to day life oblivious to his presence but he's there, his dark smoldering breath hiding in the shadows....waiting....quietly....to suck you in.

Like a mouse, he comes inside creating damage ever so quietly, so difficult to hear, so difficult to see.  And, as seasons change we may take a moment to shift furniture and discover the damage created by this tiny little creature who has simply multiplied while wreaking havoc on our home.  Evidence of droppings lie scattered beneath furniture, shreds of insulation present the destruction with which they created.  Whose to say how long they've been thriving within our walls?  Whose to say we may ever find their entrance into our home?  We know they're there and we call the exterminator to rid our home of these creatures who have chewed at our walls meant to protect it's residents.

When we become numb to the evil one's schemes, he begins to chew away the insulation of our walls called Character.  When we ignore his presence, he multiplies and his damage is even greater.  His sneaky mouse like self is ever so quiet as he chomps away at our convictions.  He starts with whispers to our mind, with justifications of "simple things, simple thoughts" such as, a particular conversation we had with another individual and may not wish to share with our spouse as it would "only cause unwanted questions";  we curse a crazy driver who cuts us off in traffic, "no one else heard";   we harbor anger within us and justify it's presence;   we proudly take the extra money from the cashier who unknowingly added wrong;   we witness hazard lights flashing on a 'clunker' car along the freeway and zip past the homely person standing at it's hood.  To justify is like a lie that will eat away the lining of our souls.

When we fail to share that conversation with our spouse the effect can create a pattern of secrets, denying a wonderful bond that could potentially occur had we taken the risk by facing that rift;  when we curse the crazy driver, our defenses will grow and grow until one day someone may have pushed us too far;   when we take money that does not belong to us regardless of the error, we're stealing something we have not earned for ourself;   when we drive by a beat up broken down car on the freeway and we know we're capable of helping that person, we elevate who we are in comparison to "who they must be", this effect can create a sense of selfishness by not reaching out to help another;   whenever we find ourselves justifying our actions or our behavior is a perfect time to sit back and softly observe the "mouse" that has snuck into our home.
I personally have been guilty of one or more of these at some point and time in my life.  

The evil one still prowls around seeking to devour our souls by whittling away at our character.  As one man falls, the real evil one snickers while we gloat.  He knows we've ended an 'obvious' target, he also knows he has worked magic in peoples hearts as they've grown cold and calloused while they justify their hate.

May there not be another day we unknowingly become enslaved by the greatest terrorist to roam this earth.