Christian Living

---

‘A mouse looked through the crack in the wall to see the farmer and his wife open a package.
"What food might this contain?" The mouse wondered –
he was devastated to discover it was a mousetrap.

Retreating to the farmyard, the mouse proclaimed the
warning.

"There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!"

The chicken clucked and scratched, raised her head and
said, "Mr. Mouse, I can tell this is a grave concern to you
but it is of no consequence to me. I cannot be bothered by it."

The mouse turned to the pig and told him, "There is a
mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!"

The pig sympathized, but said, "I am so very sorry, Mr. Mouse,
but there is nothing I can do about it but pray. Be assured you are in my prayers."

The mouse turned to the cow and said, "There is a
mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!"

The cow said, "Wow, Mr. Mouse. I'm sorry for you, but it's no skin off my nose."

So, the mouse returned to the house, head down and dejected, to face the farmer's mousetrap-- alone.
That very night a sound was heard throughout the house like the sound of a mousetrap catching its prey.
The farmer's wife rushed to see what was caught. In the
darkness, she did not see it was a venomous snake
whose tail the trap had caught.

The snake bit the farmer's wife. The farmer rushed her
to the hospital and she returned home with a fever.
Everyone knows you treat a fever with fresh chicken soup, so the farmer took his hatchet to the farmyard for the soup's main ingredient.

But his wife's sickness continued, so friends and neighbors came to sit with her around the clock. To feed them, the farmer butchered the pig.

The farmer's wife did not get well; she died. So many people came for her funeral, the farmer had the cow slaughtered to provide enough meat for all of them.

The mouse looked upon it all from his crack in the wall with great sadness.

So, the next time you hear someone is facing a problem and think it doesn't concern you, remember: – when one of us is threatened, we are all at risk.

We are all involved in this journey called life. We must keep an eye out for one another and make an extra effort to encourage one another.

SEND THIS TO EVERYONE WHO HAS EVER HELPED YOU OUT AND LET THEM KNOW HOW IMPORTANT THEY ARE.

REMEMBER:
EACH OF US IS A VITAL THREAD IN ANOTHER PERSON'S TAPESTRY; OUR LIVES ARE WOVEN TOGETHER FOR A REASON. One of the best things to hold onto in this world is a friend.
Amen.’

I received this in a forwarded email. I wonder who wrote it. As requested, I am forwarding it in this article.
What a thought provoking story, underlining the truth that we need each other, a friend in need is a friend indeed, united we stand, divided we fall.
God in His divine wisdom has not only put us here together but made it imperative that we are interdependent. The North need the South and the South need the North. Blacks need whites and whites need blacks like the white and black keys on a piano. You cannot have a good music with just the black or white keys, unless you only want to pay in the key of C; and your music will lack the spice of life.

Paul by revelation reminds us in 1Cor12 that as Christians we belong to the Body of Christ. And as each part of our natural body is important to the wellbeing of the whole body, so is each person in the Body of Christ important to the proper functioning of the Church and if I dare add, in the world as a whole.

12The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. 13For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.
14Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. 15If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 16And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 17If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20As it is, there are many parts, but one body.
21The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!" 22On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
27Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.(1Cor 12:12-27)

No man or woman, nation or tongue is an island on their own. We are all interconnected and interdependent and need to appreciate, protective and considerate to each other. Where there is harmony, there will be synergy, increase in wellbeing, security, productivity, prosperity and joy fulfilment.

When the disciples were in one accord, the Holy Spirit was allowed free reign and they were blessed mightily having favour with God and the people. There was no lack as they shared what they had. 32All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. 33With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all. 34There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales 35and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need. Acts4:32-35
42They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. 44All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.Acts2:42-47

The Psalmist said ‘How good and pleasant it is
when brothers live together in unity!
2 It is like precious oil poured on the head,
running down on the beard,
running down on Aaron's beard,
down upon the collar of his robes.
3 It is as if the dew of Hermon
were falling on Mount Zion.
For there the LORD bestows his blessing,
even life forevermore (Psalm133:1-3)

Jesus prayed ‘That they may be one even as We are one.
I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name—the name you gave me—so that they may be one as we are one. John17:11
It is written: How should one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, except their Rock had sold them, and the LORD had shut them up?Deut 32:30
But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another. (Gal5:15)
A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. John13:34
Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;Rom12:10
Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. (Gal6:2)

WE NEED EACH OTHER
We need each other,
to go on further
As the black and white keys on a piano
make beautiful, wonderful music.
Black, white or brown,
loving one another
is the way to go higher.
As the head needs the body
and the body the head,
We need each other.

Let's make music together,
flow together ,reach together
gel together, sing together,
make a difference together,
no matter the difference.

We need each other,
complimenting one another
As the flower needs the rain
and the clown, the laughter
God in His wisdom made us
to need each other
And by loving one another,
we get brighter, grow stronger
and glow better;
but only as we embrace each other. .


True Friends
True Friends
fend off fiends
Fight for you
Stay with you
Stick with you
Share with you

True Friends
Will not pretend
Will protect you
Will weep with you
Laugh with you
remember you

True Friends
empathise with you
brighten your day
set you free
to be your self
will not betray

True Friends
Over backwards bend
Go extra mile
Make you smile
Pray with you
Pray for you
Tell you the truth
In love, cover you
Will love and love
Will give and give
And will forgive.


True Friends
will feed your dreams
will be warm
and will not harm
will not stab
never a drab
say what they mean
and mean what they say
will use your things
and not use you

So, I need you and you need me. We need each other. Let’s fend for each other, love each other, pray for each other, consider each other, be kind to each other, validate each other, compliment each other, reach out for each other and will go further and further to the glory of God.

When next there is a trap
in the 'house',
leave it not to the mouse.

Let's all be roused
to trash the trap
make it a crap and scrap.

---

PLEASE ENCOURAGE AUTHOR BELOW LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE