Yesterday my husband of three years and I had a discussion about how to bring in the plants from the lanai. He wanted to slide them into the bar area – which makes sense because they would not have to be lifted and could easily find warmth just inside our home.
I shook my head “No” because of an experience I had many moons ago as a young woman living in Houston. It was almost Christmas too and I noticed one of the plants on the porch needed water. I picked up the plant and put it in the kitchen sink. That seemed easier at the time to do that versus pulling the water hose from way around the other side of the house. My newborn baby girl was a week old and sleeping in her crib and Christmas music was playing on the “record player.” (I’m dating myself.)
As the water hit the dirt in the pot, suddenly and without warning, two HUGE frogs jumped out of the pot and started jumping all over my kitchen. One on the counter and the other on the floor. I screamed and ran out in the garage to get away from the frogs. I was still young enough to remember the tale, “If you touch a frog, you’ll get warts!” Plus jumping ugly frogs and Billie do not go together.
I ran out of the garage and my neighbor was in his yard untangling Christmas lights. He heard me screaming and came running thinking something had happened to our new little baby girl. I could barely get out the word “frogs” as he ran in the house to see what was the matter.
He starred at the frogs, turned to look at me and busted a gut laughing at his crazy neighbor. He quickly picked one up and placed it outside and then went back in to grab the other one — who had hidden himself somewhere. We both looked high and low and then my newborn baby girl started crying. I didn’t know what to do. Leave the kitchen and maybe risk the frog jumping on me or retrieving my baby from her crib. As I stood there wondering what to do, the other frog jumped from behind the kitchen table and my neighbor grabbed him and escorted him outside where he belonged.
It was a crazy morning and my neighbor never, ever let me live that experience down. He told everyone what happened and the neighbors saw me in a different light.
So with that story shared with my beloved, the plants sitting in our lanai were lifted and moved to the garage yesterday instead of sliding them into the bar area. (smile)
Now you ask, “What the heck does the frog story have to do with a Merry Christmas message?” Here’s the answer, “My experience gave me wisdom about how to handle outdoor plants coming inside. Telling our stories to others shares that wisdom and keeps frogs from invading homes!”
And tomorrow we will experience the biggest story ever told – the birth of Christ!
We may not have been there, but shepherds were and they made sure to share their experience so the story could help others and give them hope…which is the foundation of the story of Jesus.
Hope!! That is what He brings to us and hope is what we need.
As we live in this world filled with mad men at the helm, we must focus on our faith. Our Father God in heaven sees the news too and wants to encourage us to instead see the Good News of Christ that was proclaimed to shepherds working in the fields.
The story goes like this…
Suddenly an angel appeared to the shepherds proclaiming…
‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.”
And as the angel finished this declaration, suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests’.”
When the angel came to announce the birth of our savior, it didn’t appear to the politicians, the rich, or to the elite – it went to lowly shepherds. People like us – regular folks.
Experience tells us that God uses regular folks to do His work and those regular folks are constantly fighting against the elite and pharoahs (politicians!).
Experience also tells us from the stories of the Bible that God wins every time!
Experience tells us that no matter how bad things look, good always prevails…always!
Experience tells us that no matter how scary it might be (frogs jumping on you), God will send someone to rescue us — just in time.
I pray that you will let go of the bitterness we are all saddled with after the elites in DC stabbed us in the back this week. Experience should have told us they would do that because that is what they always do! They are so predictable. They are so wicked. But the good news is this from Psalm 37:13…
“the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he sees that His day is coming.”
Here’s how I see it…if God can laugh at them, we can too. Laughter is healing to the soul. And remember my story — when my neighbor laughed at my fear of frogs, the situation turned around and the screaming stopped. My neighbor laughed and rescued me from the frogs.
And God will rescue us from the ugly frogs with warts on their souls in DC too.
Merry Christmas to our followers at Eye. We appreciate you following our stories and sharing them with others.
