Along for the Ride

    Recently, I was in a frenzy of busyness. I usually consider myself pretty good at managing multiple projects. (Insert pat on the back) But, this particular time, I was dusting, decluttering and shampooing a rug, all while the bathroom was in line to be cleaned next. As I went outside to empty the trash, I noticed a lizard  was doing a head bob while hanging out on the screen door. I'm not lizard squeamish. As a kid, I'd had a handful of them as pets. This one was small, which means it was 'fast.' I brushed it off the screen door and onto the front porch.  Then, I made sure that it was a safe distance from the front door. Trash emptied, I went back inside to finish cleaning.

    While putting things away, I walked towards the hallway and spotted Lil Lizzie standing near the front door. I have no idea how it got inside, but I had images of Lil Lizzie becoming Big Lizzie and multiplying somewhere in our house. I reached down to grab it, but it dashed away somewhere and camouflaged itself against the brown carpet. After being on my hands and knees and still not finding it, I prayed that it would somehow show up sooner rather than later.

    I went to cleaning. I finished dusting and headed into the bathroom. Suddenly, I felt this weird vibration on my back, right below my shoulder. I scratched at it but kept cleaning. I felt it again, but this time I looked into the mirror. I didn't notice anything on my back. I kept cleaning but finally couldn't take the weird sensation. Finally, I took off the cardigan that I was wearing and looked in the mirror. You guessed it. Lil Lizzie was head-bobbing and perched on my back. I calmly quick-stepped outside and gently shook Lil Lizzie off, farther away this time. 

    I still can't quite figure out when the little hitch hiker had jumped on for a free ride, but I'm so thankful that God answered my prayer by allowing Lil Lizzie to be discovered, even though it was in an unexpected way. It was a sweet reminder that God is in the big, the small and the in-between. Sometimes a glimpse at a lizard is a chance to redirect, reset and create a much needed pause.