Our first spring living in the Carolina’s, we hired someone to de-winterize our irrigation system, aka, our sprinkler system that pulls water from the lake. I opened the garage door, so that the gentleman could have access to the control panel while he worked on the system. After about an hour, there was a knock on the door, leading into the house from the garage. My little Chihuahua went nuts as she heard someone on the other side of the door. I picked her up and answered the door. It was the irrigation man. He asked, “Is this your pet?”, and pointed under the shelves in the garage. I pointed to my dog and told him this is my pet. He proceeded to explain he saw this animal in the yard, he took some pictures of it, then watched it run into the garage. I put the Chihuahua down inside and came out and checked out what he was talking about. Now, we were in the process of building a screened in porch and patio, so ALL of our patio furniture, BBQ, as well as all of the normal things that belong in a garage were piled up half way to the ceiling. I climbed over the pile, and saw some eyes peering out from under the shelves in the back. Wait, WHAT?! Who has a muskrat for a pet?!? I grabbed a broom and a rake. I handed the rake to the man who just watched the creature waddle into our garage and told him ‘you let the muskrat in my garage, you help me get him out.’ He got on one side of the shelves, and I got on the other, and we both tried to push the twenty-ish pound muskrat out from under the shelves. It was impossible. The irrigation man dropped the rack and said he had work to do and left. All I could think was ‘who does that?’ Who let’s a wild animal into a customer’s garage?’ It was laugh or cry!
I grabbed my phone and called a neighbor. No answer. I sent a text and picture to my husband. He said he couldn’t leave his new job to help. I called another neighbor and asked her if her husband was home. When she asked why, I explained there was a muskrat that has taken up residence in my garage, and I need help evicting it. Although her husband wasn’t home, she had to see this, they had lived here for years, and nothing like this had ever happened. With her small children in tow, she wanted to see this animal! Next thing I know she had called the police. I asked her what the police were going to do, maybe arrest the muskrat for unlawful entry? The police told her they don’t deal with animals and to call Animal Control. Meanwhile, I continued to try and remove the beast with my rake and broom. Our neighbor then called Animal Control. They told her to leave the garage open, and eventually it will leave… it might take 3-5 days. Seriously?! All I could think was this thing is huge, probably pregnant, or is the leader of a pack, herd, flock, (whatever muskrats run in) and it would invite all its friends in the garage to take up residence. I have heard horror stories how these things eat though wires and the interior of boats on the lake, and there was NO way was I going to leave this destructive creature to eat through the garage , or get into my car and do some damage! I began to get a little more aggressive as I was getting a rake behind the muskrat and began prying it out from under the shelves. I poked, laughed, yelled, crawled onto the piles of furniture, got down on my belly and tried to leverage that stubborn thing out! Two hours later, I finally got the upper hand on the squatter, and got it out from under the shelves, but it relocated under the pile of patio furniture. Standing on the wabbly BBQ, I was finally able to herd that beast from our garage.
That tenacious muskrat found a great new home, with plenty on ‘food’ it was not going to leave. I, on the other hand, had a secret weapon. The Lord gave me the courage, patient, and the strength to remove the beast from our garage.
Deuteronomy 31:6 “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”
So many times in life, we find ourselves fighting a battle. That battle could be with our selfish ways, our thoughts, people that disagree with us, people that put their own wants before others, or maybe we battle all the things that bring us down out there in this crazy world. Through all those battles, we must remember that we have we are not alone. We have someone that will give us the strength we need, whether we are battling a stubborn muskrat, co-workers, employers, family, or any circumstances that are out of your control. We just need to be strong and courageous, and remember that God will be there for us, and will not leave us.
