In a recent sermon, Pastor Scott said, “Human beings are storied creatures.” We like to read and tell stories. So here’s a funny tale about a lizard on our bathroom rug at bedtime (mine, not the lizard’s apparently). My husband would have grabbed it barehanded. Alas, he was not home and I wasn’t brave enough to risk a lizard bite. I turned over the laundry hamper and shoved towels under all the doors so it would have no escape route. Right. After an hour and a half chase, I was exhausted and the quick reptile was still frantic. We both jumped around the bathroom like crazy creatures. Twice it leapt on top of the hamper, instead of going in, and gave me a defiant glare. It was actually a pretty whiptail lizard with a friendly face. I talked to it nicely, to no avail. Guess I’m not a whiptail whisperer.
Finally, I resorted to my lizard tool (a long shoe horn) to push it into the hamper. It jumped out before I could close the lid. Again, I used my lizard wrangling tool (Crikey, I’m not Steve Irwin!) and scared it into the hamper. I flipped it up, slammed the lid, and ran for the door, fearing the lizard would squeeze out somewhere. It’s amazing what tight spaces they can navigate. Hoorah, we got outside, I opened the lid and pointed it toward the safety of the bushes. Crazy lizard shot out across the yard and jumped headlong into the pool. Thank God it swam to the critter ramp, and I rescued it from there and put it back on dry land. I dropped in bed after midnight and hoped the lizard was safe in its burrow. What an ordeal…for both of us. But, we had our happy ending.
Now this whiptail story is part of my life story. If it made you smile, I hit my goal. I know you have silly stories, too, and sad ones, plus animal tales, adventures and lifelong sagas. Many of our stories have spiritual significance. I wish I could connect this one to a parable, but it’s just a funny lizard tale. Tell me a funny story next time we meet. After all, Pastor Scott said we are stories in action, stories in the making. If we get comfortable sharing silly stories, we just might get comfortable sharing the spiritual ones too. Hope and joy, the Whiptail Wrangler