The Big Deal with a Little Hamster

I am not a fan of mice! I am not talking about the kind that are stuffed with cotton, have big black circles for ears, and live in a magical castle at an amusement park, like Mickey Mouse. I am thinking of the kind that squeak around dark rooms and nibble on your leftover crackers. The creepy little furry ones!

I will admit that just thinking about their dark marble eyes, thin whiskers, pointy noses, big teeth, and long skinny tails totally grosses me out! In fact, I feel the exact same way about hamsters, gerbils, and rats. They all give me chills.

So would you believe me if I told you that I once had a pet hamster?

It is true. You can also believe me when I say I was totally grossed out by him too. So you are probably wondering why I even had one, right?

When I was a little girl, my brother had a lot of animals and pets. Somehow he managed to talk our mother into letting him have everything from baby lizards and hermit crabs to sharks!

But guess what animal he never asked for?

You got it. A hamster.

I did not enjoy having a hamster. I didn’t like feeding him, playing with him, or looking at him. But I wanted to have a pet so bad that I let a creepy furry little creature live in my room! It may seem weird but all I really wanted was to be like my brother—I wanted to fit in.

Please tell me that I am not alone. Have you ever done something just to try to be like someone else?

Maybe you have never owned a hamster, but maybe you talked your mom into letting you buy a certain shirt, watch a certain movie, or hang out with a certain person. Maybe you enjoyed it but maybe you were just doing it to try to fit in.

God knew that wanting to fit in and be like everyone else would be hard, so He talks about it a lot in the Bible!

Romans 12:2 says, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

This just means that we should not try to fit in or be like someone else. We should only want to be like Jesus and do and have what He says is good for us! When you try to be like Jesus, you don’t have to worry about fitting in. You can just be you!

Can you think of a time that you wanted to fit in? What can you do today to try to be more like Christ?

Dear God, I am so glad You know what is best for me. Please help me to not try to be like other people. I want to be like You! In Jesus’s name, amen.