40 Reflections – #9: 40 days of raw recollections during the Lenten Season
Today we lost a lizard.
We’re taking care of our neighbor’s pets and somehow, the lid of the terrarium came off, and this morning the gecko was gone. We looked in all the dark places we thought he would hide. Behind the curtains, along the molding, under beds. But the little guy just wouldn’t show its face, plus the cats weren’t talking (suspicious), so we had to stop looking for the moment.
That’s the challenge in anything, when you come to the realization you have no control over a situation. If a dog is lost there are signs to post, and numbers to call, but a lizard is a lone warrior. He has to be strong, stealth, and smart in that little body with no one to hold a leash or place a chip inside. We paused our search and said a prayer to St. Anthony to help us find the lizard, and of course St. Francis. After all, whether someone’s pet is a three-inch gecko or a 150 pound Great Dane, it still brings joy and unconditional love to our lives.
As I pushed aside socks under the bed looking for this little guy, I thought about the days when all we want to do is climb into the quietest, sun-filled spot in our world and just sit. Free from the buzz of the phone, the worry in our hearts, and the stress each day potentially brings. Perhaps that’s what our gecko friend is doing now.
Tomorrow we’ll look again. Up on ceilings, under couches, and on window sills. Maybe, just maybe he’ll be back home – after all, home should always be the safe place we share with those we love. Faith always leads us home.
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