by Freida Harrison
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Jeremiah 29:11 NIV(1984)
A gecko squirmed out from under my sofa late one night while I was reading! The little critter just appeared suddenly and began to dart back and forth into the middle of the living room, then back underneath the sofa. As I watched him for about a minute, it became obvious that he was disoriented and not sure what to do or where to go. He had lost his way, needed help, and since I was the only one awake, the poor little guy had to depend on me!
This was not my first experience with geckos. Out where we live, we get them in the house often; however, this one was very small, and even though the little stinkers can be difficult to catch, I had hopes for an easy capture. I guess my brain was a little fuzzy due to the lateness of the hour because that tiny lizard had me running all over the living room, kitchen, and dining room! Dizzy, disheveled, out of breath, and wondering what to try next, I finally managed to snatch him in my hands in the doorway between the kitchen and dining room! But OH NO! He jumped right through a small hole between my thumbs and landed on the carpet! He was absolutely determined to do things his way! I managed to get him up against the baseboard and scoop him up in my hands once again, and this time I cupped my hands together tightly, yet as gently as possible. I didn’t want him to hurt himself!
He must have thought he had been captured by Godzilla because as I was holding him carefully in my hands, trying not to squash the little creature, I realized how hard he was struggling to get away. My intent was to place the gecko in an environment that would be beneficial to him; where he could find food, water, shelter and live a life appropriate for a lizard. He just didn’t seem to understand that! The poor little thing was wiggling, squirming, writhing, and doing everything possible to squeeze out of my hands.
Hmmm. Is this what we do sometimes? When we are not in a place where God wants us to be, do we wiggle, squirm, writhe, and try to get away when God so delicately picks us up and attempts to place us where we need to be so we can fulfill His purpose for us? Do we fight Him, knowing that He has a plan and that His plan is always better than any we could ever dream about or imagine? Are we determined to do things OUR way? Just like that tiny gecko in my hands was trying to do?
God knows where we need to be because He’s had a plan from the beginning of time. I find great comfort in that, yet there are times when I squirm and struggle, trying to “free” myself from the life He has planned for me. However, the true freedom is in His hands, following His plan, and being the person He has called me to be. And I am so thankful that He loves me enough to reach down, pick me up, and set me back on the right road when I have wandered away from the path He has created especially for me.
What about the little gecko? Somehow, I managed to get the front door opened without dropping him and placed that cute little fellow on the big ferns in front of our porch. There he has food, water, shelter, and all the necessities for a growing gecko.
Dear God, thank you for using a tiny gecko to remind me of the love You have for Your children and how You pick us up kindly, gently, carefully, in Your strong hands and place us where we need to be when we’ve lost sight of our path.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV (1984)
Copyright © 2012, Freida Harrison, Breath of Life Women’s Ministries. Bible scripture taken from NIV.
