Me and lizards. We do not make for a good pair. I have many stories (funny now) about my relationship with lizards. For about seventeen years, we lived out in (as we call it) the country. It was my idea. This woman who thrives best in close community and less wild animals, chose distance between neighbors and critters everywhere. Instead of lions and tigers and bears, we had lizards and frogs and spiders. Snakes. Snakes deserve a sentence of their own.

One of those times this damsel needed rescuing from a fire-breathing dragon (lizard), my sweet Papaw Daniel came to my rescue. I can giggle now replaying that moment in time, him crawling on the floor, chasing that lizard. I have never seen a grown man crawl that fast. We were on the catch and release program, so I am certain I had seen that little green fella before.

Why do these things send me squealing? Believe me, Lary has tried numerous times to help me understand their fear. He has reminded me I’m bigger than them. He has asked, “What do you think it will do to you?” I don’t know, Lary. I am trying to not figure that out! I’m sure it’s irrational. Well, I’m not sure, but I have an inkling that I’m being a big dramatic.

Why do small, itty-bitty fears or discomforts, grow into monsters and take over our sensibilities? I wish I had all the answers for that question. Because if I did, we would all settle down. Let’s face it, most of the things that send us into a whirl, are not worth the energy it takes to, whirl.

Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. ~ Philippians 4:8, MSG

There are tons of things to get upset over that are tragedies. Good people face the unthinkable every day. I say we begin to take the grumble out of those irritating no-see-ums buzzing around our lives. Let’s change our perspective on aggravation. It seems to me, that grumbling can almost become a way of life. Negativity. The more we focus on the negative, the less positive we see. 2 Corinthians 10:5 advises us to take our thoughts captive. Y’all, we need to chase those ugly thoughts down like my Papaw chased that lizard. Grab’em and remove’em.

In the movie, Coal Miner’s Daughter, Loretta tells Doolittle, “An’ stop that growlin’. You sound like a big ol’ bar {bear}”.

That’s pretty good advice for us too.