There is a Lizard in my House

February 6, 2007 at 10:47 PM · Filed under Daily Ponders as I Wander

4:25 p.m – the cat wanders in the door making an odd sound. In her mouth is a lizard, about 5-6 inches long (including tail) which she promptly puts down and chases under the love seat.

"Bad kitty" yells my 4-year-old son. ‘Oh, no! Mommy! A lizard! A lizard! Gross!"

In the past this would have FREAKED me out. But being the sensible, calming mother that I am I just said, "It’s okay. It will still be there when Daddy comes home."

4:26 – "Mommy! I see it!" he yells peering under the couch. He couldn’t have, truly. He decides to sit on the cat and she takes her punishment.

RRRRRRingggg. I’m NOT answering the phone right now. The cat is scrambling over my laptop to get to a new angle on the couch, my son is chasing her, "No, kitty! Don’t get it!"

The answering machine omes on. . . "Hello, Lisa. This is Michael calling back to talk with you about that DVD promotional I am doing and wanting to feature your ministry…" I lunge for the phone, leaping over the cat, Josh, 1 remote control car, six trains, a coffee table, and four throw pillows. I will not think about the lizard that could jump out and grab me. Surely he’d take a ride in a coal car with Thomas the Tank Engine pulling him before grabbing my toe, right?

4:27, 4:28, 4:29. The minutes tick by.

"Tell me about how Rest Ministries began. . ."

Hence, began a 1 1/2 hour call– me trying to sound "professional" while I would say, "can you hold a moment?" in my sweet Christian voice and then tell my son, "MOMMY IS ON AN IMPORTANT CALL. STOP SITTING ON THE CAT — NOW! OR YOU WILL LOSE YOUR CARS," and then I’d get back to talking about how the Lord has just blessed me so much, despite my illness and His strength is all I need.

As the conversation continues I try not to yelp or scream at Josh as he jumps up and down on me like I am a trampoline. I send him squinty-eye looks and he laughs. Normally I do NOT allow this behavoir… but I couldn’t really talk about God in one breath and yell, "I’m going to get the spoon!" in the next, right?

The call ended. I called my husband, "I have another phone appointment at 7. Can you be home by then and can you bring Chinese Food? I’m too tired to cook." He arrived home and I gobbled down enough food and diet soda to stop the stomach from growling, but not too much to have my mouth burn or burp during the interview. Which I found out at 7:05 was to be re-scheduled.

And people wonder if God has a sense of humor?? OF COURSE He does! Nearly every day in my home I can relate with Sarah in the Bible who said, "God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me." ( Genesis 21:6 )

Of course, I don’t doubt that there are those who are laughing at me. . . but that’s okay. Whatever I can do to bring a bit of a smile to someone is okay with me.  When you live with an illness, you have to search for reasons to laugh.

I found a new reason just tonight. My husband lifted up the couch–no lizard. Zip, gone, wandering through the clutter of my home, finding some place to hide away until the cat discovers him again, or my son finds him hiding out at the little playset of Flo’s cafe with all the cars talking sponsorship with Lightening McQueen (Okay, you’ve had to have seen the Cars movie, but hey, if Geico can have a gekko, maybe McQueen needs a backyard lizzard.) 

I’m not going to think about it. Course, if I start wandering around the house in the middle of the night (as I always do when I can’t sleep) I’ll be turning a lot of lights on!

Bless you…

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