Down a Carolina Road. . . It is Sunday and we go to church

This past summer I witnessed an event in nature and it reminded me that God uses many ways, people and circumstances to speak to us.   A lizard had been stuck in the bottom of a large glass bowl on our deck. He crawled in there on his own free will. But he could not get out. The lizard could see out, he knew how he got in there, but could not figure out how to get out.  He was in a mess and could not save himself.

After a couple of days I noticed he was not looking very good at 

all . . . he was not going to survive.  I really do not like lizards - but I thought it was sort of sad to see him like that and I could help him.  So even though I do not like lizards, I carefully turned the bowl over on the side to let him free.

Well,  he just sat there for a long time.  I walked away and went inside.  About a half hour later I looked again, he was still in the bowl.  My thought and observation at the time was that the lizard had been there so long I guess he thought it was what he had become used to, or was afraid that he had tried to get out of that bowl before and could not.  

Later, I noticed he was getting closer to the edge of the rim. He finally crawled out of the bowl. I could see an analogy of life in this observation. God can show you a message in very simple and yet profound ways.  

 Many of us find ourselves in situations when we feel like we are at the “bottom of the barrel” or in the lizard’s case . . . the bottom of a bowl.  Sometimes we get ourselves in those positions and other times we are there because of events that are out of our control.   How often do we sit there and just have pity on ourselves or wait for someone to rescue us.

 I really do not like lizards probably as much as God does not like what I do sometimes either.  But God always helps me in whatever situation I am in and God can do the same for you.   It occurred to me in that defining moment that God does this for us every day.  He sent His son to the cross to die for our sins and save us from our sins and give us eternal life.  Everyday God is still reaching down and pulling us out of “the bottom of the barrel”  He keeps saving us again and again.   We just have to reach up and take hold of His hand and let Him pull us up.  It was also very timely and another defining moment that my devotion scripture for the day was Jeremiah 29:11 "I know the plans the Lord has for you - a plan for you to prosper and no harm”.