A Visitor In The Kitchen Sink

I noticed it as I glanced down in my kitchen sink.
I was ready to go out for my morning walk.
I noticed some black specs in the sink that were not there the night before.
I made a mental note to deal with it when I got back home.

After my walk, I went to the sink to get some water.
Then I saw it.
It was looking back at me.
It was a tiny mouse in my kitchen sink.

Not a fan of mice, I visibly shuddered.
My husband was still upstairs.
I knew he would be down within minutes.
I knew if I went to get him the mouse would be who knows where.

My mind raced into action.
The drain cover was not there.
I didn’t want the mouse to go down the drain.
I had a box nearby that I was going to put in recycling.

I grabbed the box and put it over the mouse.
The box and the mouse were far away from the drain in my large farm sink.
I knew I caught it.
It was safe under the box until my husband came downstairs.

Within minutes, I heard him come into the foyer and walk towards the kitchen.
A mouse, I said pointing towards the sink.
Under the box, I said as he came closer.
He went into action, getting gloves and a plastic bag from the pantry.

He looked at me as if to say, Ready?
He approached the sink and carefully lifted the box.
His gloved hand was there ready to get the mouse into the plastic bag.
Except no mouse was there; the kitchen sink was empty.

It was just there, I said just as surprised as he was that it was gone.
I never saw a mouse that tiny, I continued.
It was probably a baby mouse, he said as if that was going to make me more sympathetic.
Well, where is it now? I asked.

We both looked towards the drain.
That was the only logical conclusion.
It was much too small to climb out of the deep farm sink.
What do we do now?

I knew that I would have to use the garbage disposal at some point.
Was I going to crush the baby mouse?
Was it stuck somewhere in the drain?
I had no idea and that bothered me and made me even more squeamish.

Peter went down and said to the men, “I’m the one you’re looking for. Why have you come?” The men replied, “We have come from Cornelius the centurion. He is a righteous and God-fearing man, who is respected by all the Jewish people. A holy angel told him to ask you to come to his house so that he could hear what you have to say.” Then Peter invited the men into the house to be his guests.

The next day Peter started out with them, and some of the believers from Joppa went along. The following day he arrived in Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. As Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet in reverence. But Peter made him get up. “Stand up,” he said, “I am only a man myself.”

While talking with him, Peter went inside and found a large gathering of people. He said to them: “You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with or visit a Gentile. But God has shown me that I should not call anyone impure or unclean. So when I was sent for, I came without raising any objection. (Acts 10:21-29)

Peter was summoned to go to Cornelius’ house.
Peter was a Jew and Cornelius was a Gentile.
In the Jewish culture, the Gentiles were considered unclean.
Peter would never go into a Gentile home, yet here he was, entering one.

In essence Peter says to Cornelius’ friends and relatives, I’m not supposed to be here.
But God has shown me that I should not call anyone impure or unclean.
I thought of Peter and Cornelius during our mouse episode.
You’re not supposed to be here, mouse.

You’re not supposed to be in my kitchen sink.
You’re not supposed to disappear from under the box.
You’re not supposed to go down the drain.
But you did…you must have…where else could you have gone?

I was squeamish when I used the disposal.
I shudder to think…
He was not supposed to be there.
But it is getting chilly outside, my husband said, as if to make me more sympathetic.

I scrubbed the sink really well.
I thoroughly cleaned all the areas the mouse may have scurried.
Cold comfort for me.
Apparently, warm comfort for the mouse.