Don't Judge a Mouse By Its Tail

..................... Have you ever been impressed by animals? 

Okay, if you were my sister Monique, you would say, "Duh." I always liked animals, but I never really understood what they could teach us until I spent more time with them. They teach me Christ-like attributes that I have a hard time learning from people. 

I work in a lab on campus where we're studying the benefits of selenium and soy with prostate cancer. If anyone wants to know more, please ask! But, that's not why I'm writing today. I work with mice in the lab, and I am personally in charge of feeding the mice. Not just restocking their pellets. I get to "gavage" them, or pipette a dose of selenium in their mouth. The process isn't that complicated. But, some mice get antsy when my peers and I try to pick them up. 

We once had a mouse that we called "Half Tail." Like his name implies, half of his tail was gone, and we weren't really sure why. We assumed that one of his cage-mates had bitten it off.  When we got to know this mouse's personality, it wouldn't be surprising if he had bitten it off himself. He was a jumper. Every time we tried to feed him he would attempt to fly, only finding himself on the floor moments after. As if that wasn't frustrating enough, he would then scurry to the corner of the room to play Hide-and-Go-Seek. Not that fun when he's agile like a panther. He would sometimes scurry away and we couldn't find him for days at a time. This mouse was a pain in my neck for months. 

It's Half Tail himself! 

Recently, we've had another mouse born that resembled Half Tail's physical deformity. He must have been born without half a tail, because when I weaned him from his mother that's how I found him. I see how the other litter mice interact with him, and I don't think they were malicious enough to bite it off. So, I think this little guy was disadvantaged from the start. A guy in my lab couldn't help but relate our experience with Half Tail and the new mouse. "He's going to be so hard to gavage," he said. At first thought, I agreed.

However, after gavaging the new mouse a couple of times, I realized that he was one of the most calm mice so far. He patiently waits for us to pick him up by his shortened tail, and feed him. When he has all the right to feel antsy and disadvantaged, he makes it easy on us. What a great example that is to me. I first judged him to be like Half Tail. I judged a book by its cover. Or rather, I judged a mouse by its tail. And he taught me a lesson on patience.

The Lord gives us disadvantages and weaknesses that we could use as excuses. It’s so easy to feel that way. Because I’m not coordinated, I shouldn’t long board or play soccer. I’ve told myself that recently. Thankfully, the Lord is patient with us and I am learning how to long board.

It’s addressing your weaknesses, but also being patient that you can’t change them overnight. Coming to accept them, like this mouse did, will make us more pleasant to deal with. As Moroni recounts in the book of Ether what the Lord can do with us when we are willing to accept our weaknesses. “ And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble…for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them” (Ether 12:27).

I have recently been struggling with some pretty big weaknesses of mine. I have come to realize that I can’t conquer them alone. I have amazing friends, wonderful dating experiences, and Christ to help me. Oh, and I can’t forget the mice. ;) I’m like Cinderella and her handy, dandy mice friends. 

This dress is a testimony that mice can be BOSS.