Amos the churchmouse — Jan. 9

Editor’s note: Amos is a churchmouse who types by hopping on a computer keyboard, but he can’t operate the capital shift, and he shuns punctuation marks – except hyphens and dashes.

amos fights the weather

the other day boss i opened the door

of my cozy little matchbox

home in the corner of the

church and slipped outside

through the crack in the wall

in the choir room

the moment i stepped outside

a gust of icy wind slapped me

in the face

shivering i started to go

over to a clump of the

church s rose bushes where

i thought it might be warmer

but when i took my first

step i noticed there was

white flaky stuff all over

the ground - snow - real

live snow

as i took that first step i

realized something else -

it was slick exclamation

point here boss

my four little paws went

four different directions -

as quick as slickety-slick

and slippety-slide -

i first fell on my face

bent my whiskers and

then fell to my side

i rolled over determined

not to fail

i tried to stand but slipped

and crumpled my tail

i was angry hurt and upset

by it all because a graceful

little mouse should never

never fall

why this weather i shouted

at the sky

not seeing at all pastor beetle

passing by

hello amos why the fuss

says he graciously

i don t like the weather

here says i in a huff

it s cold it s icy - and

i hate this white stuff

you know says he the apostle

paul tells us to be content

wherever we are whatever

may fall

well that may be and that s

fine for him says me

cause he s not here in this

muck and frozen air

amos you don t understand

says he you need to see

things a little differently

look on the bright side

open your heart wide

try to see the good

here in your neighborhood

but what can be so wonderful

about frozen toes a runny nose

or a busted water hose says i

what could be so great about

wind and cold ice and snow

its beauty for one thing says

he look around you see the

glistening trees

and the cold kills off the

bad bugs like termites

and ticks and other ungodly

insects

besides it makes the fire

warmer and the home and

heart brighter - just like the

cold dead of winter makes

spring greener more alive

and joyful than ever

so you see says he cold and

snow are great without them

our world would probably

deteriorate and life would

depreciate

the more i thought about

it boss the more i knew he

was right

just then a gleam of light

bounced off an icicle and

tickled my eye

my the world was a

lovely sight

you know that verse really

works that says in everything

give thanks for this is the

will of god in christ jesus

concerning you

amos