Cute As the Crab, It Was Not!

A few weeks ago, in my Alas, the Bug post, I mentioned that critters like that crab are only cute if they are outside my house and posing for pictures for me. That statement proved very true this week.

I was cleaning house, sorting things in a back room, when my son hollered loudly, “Mom! Come quickly!” I ran. My son was standing in the kitchen. Looking around, I didn’t see anything amiss.

“There’s a lizard under the refrigerator! I came in from outside, startled him, and he ran from me.” I climbed up on a chair.

Seth grabbed the biggest flashlight he could find and looked under the refrigerator. “I see him looking out at me.” I stayed up on the chair.

I’ll skip over the drama that ensued as my son and visiting father tried to coax that lizard out, but finally my husband came in, pulled the refrigerator out from the wall and saved the day. My son caught the lizard, minus his tail, put him in a coffee can, and poked holes in the lid.

I was concerned about this. I had no intention of keeping that lizard for a pet.

Working up the courage to see what had invaded my house, I let Seth slowly lift the lid from the coffee can (out in the garage, of course). Whoa! Seth says I screamed. I don’t remember this. But even without his tail, that lizard was an inch wide and seven or eight inches long. This was not your common, cute garden lizard.

I did not take his picture.

This lizard was not cute!

Seth carried the coffee can out into the woods and released the lizard delivering a strong warning from me that the lizard was not to return.

Sometimes as Christians, we may notice and even be intrigued by things that are not a part of our world. We find them interesting, fascinating—maybe even cute. We figure so long as they are outside, they are harmless and okay. But sometimes they slip in, take up residence under our refrigerators, and wreak havoc in our hearts.

This is why Jesus taught us to pray, “And lead us not into temptation.” As we pray this daily, God is faithful. His Spirit tells us what we must avoid. He delivers us from evil and keeps our hearts pest free.

Thank You, Lord, for rescuing me and for keeping my heart safe from all that quietly lurks too close to me! Amen.