Skeletons and Alligator Lizards (No Fear)
A couple of weeks ago I had energy for the first time in a long time and no agenda for the day. That means time in the garden!!! So, in the cool of the morning I went out with my pruners and a rolling trash can to trim back overgrown plants and pick up leaves and branches that had fallen in the wind (or that our dueling squirrels had yanked off the trees).
I made my way around the bulb garden and eucalyptus garden, cutting back browned foliage from spent bulbs. Our lilies and gladiolas had bloomed in late spring/early summer; now their leaves were also done for the season. When I rounded the rose garden, I saw lots of twigs from the podocarpus trees that had fallen. I picked up a twig near one of my scripture rocks, knowing I was close to a skeleton we’d found of a squirrel…or baby skunk…or other small mammal. I brushed back the leaves that had covered it and wondered again what it was. Hmmm…
Well, I wouldn’t find out by staring at it! Better get back to work (even though it was kind of creepy)!
So I reached for a branch that had fallen and lodged itself on top of the nearby lantana. It was brown and long dead, also. I quickly picked up the branch – only to find a HUGE alligator lizard curled up beneath it, sleeping in the cool of the morning! I gave a startled shout and threw the branch back on top of him, while jumping out of the planting bed entirely!! I’ve seen this lizard a lot and he’s about a foot long! Talk about creepy!!
Now, I don’t like alligator lizards (as I’ve stated before) because they’re so snake-like. I know they won’t come after me – they’re more afraid of me than I am of them – but that logic doesn’t speak to my creepy fear factor at all. I just know I want to be far enough away from them that there’s absolutely no chance of any physical contact. However, as I thought about it, lizards are cold blooded. To move fast this guy had to get warmed by the sun – and the sun was hiding behind lovely clouds. This poor guy wouldn’t even have been able to move to get away from me!
So, I began to ponder and pray. Are there other things I’m afraid of that make no logical sense? Things I don’t need to be afraid of for safety reasons? Of course, I’m afraid of pain, bad news, disapproval from others, something happening to Keith, even a painful death (though not death itself). But the Lord says in Isaiah 41:10, “Do not fear for I am with you.”
Here are other scriptures that calm my heart by helping me remember to trust God and not fear:
Hebrews 13:6 “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”
Psalm 112:7 – 8 “He is not afraid of evil tidings (bad news); his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord. His heart is steady, he will not be afraid.”
1 John 4:4 “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them because the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.”
Psalm 91:4 – 5 “He will cover you with His feathers and under His wings you will find refuge…you will not fear the terror of the night or the arrow by day.”
Lord, thank You for the assurance that You are greater than any scary thing we can experience in this world. Help me to trust You more, even with creepy skeletons and alligator lizards! Amen
Skeleton Found in our Garden
Yuletide Thoughts at Halloween
This past week I was indoor-bound. Lack of energy and more Indian summer heat kept me there. I was so grateful we had mulched the garden pots so I didn’t “have” to go out to water. But when I went out today my heart thrilled to see what I’d been missing while I was inside…our “Yuletide” camellia bushes had started blooming!!
As I’m sure you can tell by their name, “Yuletide” camellias are supposed to bloom during the Christmas season. To us, they represent the New Life that came when Jesus, the Son of God and Son of man, was born in a manger on Christmas Day. But here it is, the weekend before Halloween!
Maybe this is a more appropriate time to see Yuletide’s cheery faces! During this “celebration” of death and fear and threats to trick if we don’t treat, we can remember that God, in His amazing love, came to us in a most unexpected way. He chose to send His Son to live as a mere man so He could take away our fear of death and offer us eternal life! Mark 6:36 “Do not fear, only believe.”
Let the Yuletide carols ring: “Joy to the world, the Lord is come! Let earth receive her King!”
Choose Life
Why do I let weeds grow in our garden? I have lots of excuses. I may be short on time or my energy may be limited because of the heat. Sometimes I’m just lazy. I tell myself it won’t hurt anything and don’t pull them. But weeds steal nutrients from the soil in which our fruits and vegetables are planted. Weed roots crowd veggie roots, causing them to become weak, susceptible to disease, growing small unhealthy fruit.
Just because they’ve “just popped up” is no reason to tolerate their presence, either. If I do, they’ll just continue to grow and will pop up in other places. It’s best to get rid of them when they’re small and easily removed, before they suck the life out of the other plants.
In the same way we know we should remove weeds from our gardens, so, too, we should protect our bodies – skin – from the damaging effects of the sun. The experts tell us to cover ourselves with clothes and sunscreen to protect from skin cancers. I know this wisdom well. I give this advice to Keith because he works long hours each day in full sun. But I hardly ever do it myself. I don’t practice what I preach.
Oh, I have good excuses: My MS is less active when I get Vitamin D from the sun, which also protects against various cancers and helps boost my immune system. And I look healthier with my gardener’s tan. So it must be that God intended me to benefit from the sun – right?
So, just like weeds left in a planted garden I tell myself no harm will come from not using sunscreen. I’m different – special, even…
But this morning I got the call that the irregular spot on my leg that was biopsied is skin cancer. I’m not different or special. And now I’ll need further treatment to be sure it’s all gone so it doesn’t spread.
Isn’t this also a truth to be applied to my spiritual life? Why, when our loving and Holy God says, “Go now and sin no more” do I think to myself, “Oh this won’t hurt anything,” or “that applies to them; I’m different; I’m special.”
If Jesus hates all sin because it robs us of life, like weeds in a garden or cancers in our bodies; if we truly belong to this loving and Holy God; if we truly are His “picked representatives, purified and beloved”; if we truly are set free from sin and death through His death and resurrection, why would we ever think that what He says doesn’t apply to us?
Deuteronomy 30:19 “…I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life so that you may live.”
Lord Jesus, I ask You again to examine every part of my life, just as I scrutinize my garden (and my skin). Show me every weed that needs to be uprooted. I humbly surrender my whole life to You, my loving and gracious Lord. I am choosing life today. Amen