The Lesson of the Lizard

Recently a small garden lizard got trapped between the window and the screen in our bedroom. We could see it at different times each day moving about in between. We commented about it and would watch it briefly and then move on.

After several days it became clear the lizard wasn’t finding its way back out. There was a small bend in the screen and apparently Mr. Lizard couldn’t find his point of entry again. Larry mentioned he would try to remember to let the little guy go, after all, we like lizards around the place. They help decrease the insect population. But we would get busy and forget until we spotted him again.

One day it occurred to me I hadn’t seen him that day and I did an inspection of the window to see if he had escaped. I was sorry to discover that Mr. Lizard was laying limp at the bottom of the window. I told Larry about the fate of the lizard and he, along with me, felt strangely sad by the whole thing. After all, we had meant to make the effort to get him out of his predicament. We had just gotten busy with the day and forgotten.

Doesn’t this happen to us frequently in life? We think of something we should probably do. We tell ourselves we will do it later, but often forget. To take this a step further, we do it with the souls of those with whom we are living this life. We know, as Christians, the value of the human soul and we recognize that God would have us, above all things, be serious about the rescue of those souls for our Savior. They are literally trapped and lack the freedom only Christ can give. But the cares of life cause us to be less mindful than we ought. We focus on things of far less importance. We could help people find the way out, but we seldom do. And what is at stake is a real human soul.

May God help us to not be distracted by the cares of this world. There is so much of greater value with which to concern ourselves.

John 9:4 “As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work.”