A rat looked through a crack in the wall to see the farmer and his wife opening a package. What food might it contain? He was aghast to discover that it was a rat trap. Retreating to the farmyard the rat proclaimed the warning; "There is a rat trap in the house, a rat trap in the house!" The chicken clucked and scratched, raised her head and said, "Excuse me, Mr. Rat; I can tell this is a grave convern to you, but it is of no consequence to me. I cannot be bothered by it." The rat turned to the pig and told him, "There is a rat trap in the house, a rat trap in the house!" "I am so very sorry Mr. Rat," sympathized the pig, "but there is nothing I can do about it by pray. Be assured that you are in my prayers." The rat turned to the cow. She said, "Like wow, Mr. Rat. A rat trap. I am in grave danger. Duh?" So the rat returned to the house, head down and dejected, to face the farmer's rat trap alone. That very night a sound was heard throughout the house, like the sound of a rat trap catching its prey. The farmer's wife rushed to see what was caught. In the darkness, she did not see that 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. She returned home with a fever. Now 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. His wife's sickness continued so that 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, and so many people came for her funeral that the farmer had the cow slaughtered to provide meat for all of them to eat. So the next time you hear that someone is face a problem and think that it does not concern you, remember that when there is a rat trap in the house, the whole farmyard is at risk.

I think this story reflects the attitudes of many today. Which attitude do you possess? Which animal are you, so to speak? How do you react and respond when someone you know has a rat trap to face in this life? We are all faced with problems and struggles of life that vary in nature and form. Typically, we deal directly and prudently with our own problems. The way we deal with our own problems is not the issue in this article! Rather, we need to notice how we deal with other people's rat traps. I ask again... which animal are you?

The chicken had a spirit of apathy toward the rat. Notice the comment of the chicken, "Excuse me, Mr. Rat, I can tell this is a grave concern to you, but it is of no consequence to me. I cannot be bothered by it." Usually, we can realize when an issue is of great concern for someone. However, since their problem is not our problem, and we feel it is of no consequence to us, we do not want to be bothered by the problems of other people. Why such apathy on the part of the "chickens" of life? The trap doesn't affect them ... so they think. The chicken in our story met fate with a hatchet and a pot of boiling water! What will be the fate of the apathetic? (Matthew 13:15; Romans 13:11)

The pig showed a different attitude toward the rat. Notice the comment of the pig, "I am so very sorry Mr. Rat," sympathized the pig, "but there is nothing I can do about it but pray. Be assured that you are in my prayers." Sympathy is a wonderful thing to have for others. We all need sympathy from time to time. It makes us feel loved! However, in most cases, sympathy and sorrow alone is not enough to correct or dismiss a rat trap from someone's life. Prayer is a wonderful thing. I think it was good on the part of the "pig" to pray for the "rat." We need prayer! We also need ACTION! Many Christians never advance past feeling sorry and praying for someone. (Please read James 2:14-17; 1 John 3:17-18) The key verse is 1 John 3:18b. Sorrow and prayer needs to be "followed up" by appropriate actions to alleviate the painful situations of life. Possibly, the pig was prayed for too... just before being eaten by the farmer's guests.

The cow seemed indignant the rat even mentioned the trap to her. The cow didn't say much to the rat, but rather, reminded him of her size verses the small rat trap. "Duh," she says, "I am in grave danger." The sarcastic remark assures us she felt no worry or threat by the small device. The rat trap brought about her death!

The rat, "head down and dejected," had to face the crisis alone. In life, most of us will face our battles alone. The chicken, pig, and cow didn't have time to help the rat in his dilemma. The irony of the story is amazing. The farmer sets out to kill the rat. However, before the story is over, the chicken, pig, and cow are all dead ... and the little rat lives on. All three animals were affected by the rat's dilemma. Which animal are you? I hope we will not be like any of them. I hope we will not end up like any of them. Rather, "Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ" (Galatians 6:2).