Spiritually Speaking

Last Wednesday night after devotional, I was helping Crystal Keeler put the finishing touches on her final paper for Comp I. Everything was pretty close to complete, so I had very little to add. Of course, if this particular paper should win the Pulitzer prize, I will expect half the check. Brandon (Mr. Keeler) was in and out of the office, being as patient as possible, until we finally decided to call it quits. That’s when the real fun began.

As we were leaving the building, a large frog took advantage of the open door and headed down the hall to the fellowship room. Brandon and Crystal missed the grand entry but I called them back to help me encourage our guest to make a quick exit. After all, this was OUR building!

My first idea was to simply chase the thing back out the door it had entered. Unfortunately, herding frogs is not a prominent part of my résumé and, no matter which way I zigged, the little critter zagged further into the fellowship room. It was then that Brandon the Brave came to my rescue. He did what any self-respecting southeastern Oklahoma boy would do. He just picked the silly thing up and carried it out the door.

Sometimes our lives can be that way. Without .meaning to, we open the door to a problem, a habit, an addiction. We then proceed to play duck, dodge and dive with the silly thing until we realize “the frog’s not going away on its own.” When presented with such a dilemma, it may be time to try a more direct approach. Stand firm in the Lord – your body is His building! Take no prisoners. Make no excuses. Expel the unwelcome visitor and quickly bar the door to prevent its return. I’d let you borrow Brandon, but I saw some crickets stalking the door by the office. See you Sunday.