It's 2 a.m.
The house is quiet…
Isaac is finally asleep.
Doug is at work, and the dog, Newton, is snoring at the foot of the bed.
I'm watching an old black and white movie (As Young As You Feel
for those with inquiring minds).
Suddenly the dog jumps up and starts thumping around the bed, snuffling and scurrying. I thought he was just chasing an itch.
Something cold and damp touches the outside of my arm. I look over and see Newton on the other side of the bed, too far away for his nose to have touched my arm.
Then my mind begins to register a few important things about the dog:
- his tail is wagging quickly
- his ears are up and alert
- his mouth is open
- his eyes are darting quickly over the bed
- he is in full "tracking" mode
And SOMETHING JUST TOUCHED MY ARM!!!!!
I jump up out of the bed, turn quickly to look right beside my pillow and see a…
Frog.
A green, slimey, wet, cold, beady-eyed frog!
(I shiver with the telling of it!)
I'll be honest…there are few things that cause me to squeal like a little girl. Snakes don't. Mice don't. Spiders don't – as long as they don't touch me. Roaches are a dime a dozen here in Florida – no squeals from me.
However, if you put me in a room with a frog…you'd better have a set of earplugs ready. Sounds come out of my mouth that I have absolutely no control over!
While I tried to squelch my squeals (I did not want to wake up Isaac!), I knew I had to catch that frog. There would be no sleeping while it was loose in my room.
I tried using my "gopher" and actually caught it right away, then placed it inside an empty cracker box…it jumped right out…
Onto my pillow…then onto my other pillow…then to the sheets and the headboard.
Eventually it jumped onto the floor and then to my bookshelf, then behind my cedar chest.
I caught it several times with that "gopher", only to have him escape.
And with every escape…I squealed! I just couldn't help myself.
With it safe from the dog behind the cedar chest, I thought perhaps it would be a smart frog and just stay there. So, I laid down and pushed the "Play" button for my movie.
I am not even kidding…within three minutes, the dog was up again, chasing that frog – who obviously did not have a lick of good sense. And every time it jumped, I squealed. My throat was really starting to hurt from the exertion!
I picked up the closest thing I could find, a small glass, and as it paused for a moment on the floor, I attempted to drop the glass over it. No luck…off it hopped.
Finally, with one more attempt, I had it trapped! It's not pretty, but here it is:
I can almost hear what you're thinking…this demon of a frog fit under that tiny little glass???
Yes. Yes, he did…
…and I am not even the least bit embarrassed to tell you that!
This is the best image I got of the beast. I know you will find it shocking.
Do you see that little beady black eye? He was wicked, I tell you! Scary, creepy monster! I'm just glad Isaac was asleep and wasn't terrorized by the brute.
Now I had a problem. Newton was still on alert, and every time this green goblin moved around in the cup, Newton tried to retrieve it. I just knew as soon as I laid down, he was going to knock the cup over and we would be right back at the beginning with the evil thing on my bed!
So, I did what any brave, God-fearing woman would do – I texted my husband at work!!!
And my Prince Charming, my courageous conqueror, my herculean hero came home and scooped a piece of paper under the cup and ushered the ferocious fiend out the front door and onto the lawn.
<sigh…>Makes my heart go pitty-pat just thinking about it.
And so ends my tale of the night with the frog. (Although I will be hearing about it quite often from my hubby, I'm pretty sure!)
It makes you wonder, doesn't it, about Pharaoh in Egypt. He could have let God's people go free, right away, and Moses and Aaron would have cried unto God to rid the land of the frogs.
However, when Aaron asked him, "When do you want me to call out to God to get rid of the frogs" Pharaoh answered, "Tomorrow"!
What in the world was he thinking??? Those frogs were everywhere – in their homes, their beds, and in their ovens, even! And he was willing to go through another night of that??? Can you imagine how much screaming and chaos and utter misery must have filled the land during that night?
After my close encounter with the "green" kind, I think I would have said, "God, I surrender! Your people can go wherever they want, whenever they want! Just take away these awful frogs!"
Wait, though. Do I surrender every sin God convicts me of, right away?
When I know it will harm me, make me uncomfortable, distance me from my family and friends, do I abandon my stubborn way, and choose God's way?
I don't. Sometimes, despite the discomfort, I choose to spend one more night with those frogs, just like Pharaoh did. Even though I am miserable, I cling to my sin for just a little while longer.
After last night's experience, I pray that I remember how foolish Pharaoh's stubbornness seemed to me; and I pray that I will be willing to let go of the "frogs" of sin, pride and stubbornness right away!
So, are you sleeping with any frogs tonight? There's no need for it. Let go of them. Cry out to God to deliver you tonight. He can come, just like my Hero did, remove those frogs, and leave you to sleep with a peaceful mind and a happy heart.
Blessings to you, my friends,
Alesha
Obtaining Mercy 