Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I shall rescue you, and you will honor Me.” Psalm 50:15
The story you are about to read is true and it may scar you forever. When our girls were young, about six and five, we lived in Cobden, Illinois. We owned a large 100-year-old Victorian home which was located on the edge of town. We had woods nearby and of course lots of flower beds. The church where I pastored was wanting to hire a guy to lead worship and work with the youth.
His name was David, and his wife was Sue. They came and stayed for the weekend, and we had them over for supper on Saturday night. After we had eaten, we were sitting around and chatting. It was getting close to bedtime, so we told the girls it was time for them to go upstairs and get ready for bed. So, because they were perfect little girls (not), off they went while we continued to visit and chat. It was just about then chaos broke out.
We heard what sounded like a herd of water buffalo coming down the stairs combined with the sound of a tornado siren going off. I looked at Judy, she looked at me as we waited to see what the girls had cooked up. All parents know that when kids are told to get ready for bed there is always a great conspiracy to not do it. It has gone on for ages. Sure enough, here they come, screaming at the top of their lungs, “Daddy, there’s a SNAKE in the bathroom! There’s a SNAKE in the bathroom!” Really, I mean give me a break. Is that the best that you have?
I try to believe my children, but this was just a little far-fetched. I started the usual parent stuff, “There’s no snake in the bathroom. You better get right upstairs and get ready for bed.” There were probably a couple of mild threats that included something about the wrath of God but all to no avail. They were sticking to their story. So, off we went to find the nonexistent snake. Whoever heard of such a thing? Snake in the bathroom. Right. Sure.
So, we all tramp upstairs, with David and Sue in tow, to see this mysterious serpent. I went first not because I was bravest but because Judy made me. I looked around and thankfully there was no snake. Then the girls gave us one more small detail. “It’s in the toilet, Daddy” they said. Right. Sure. I tentatively walked over and took a look. No snake. Yay and then one of the girls said, “Look under the seat, Daddy.” Well, by now I was sure this was a grand plan to avoid bedtime. And then I lifted the seat.
There, neatly conformed to the shape of the bowl was indeed a snake. Yes, he was only about 15 inches long but to me it looked like a giant anaconda and about that time they weren’t the only ones screaming. I dropped the seat, and we all left the bathroom to formulate a plan of attack. It involved a clothes hanger and a brave soul. I was elected. We got a clothes hanger and straightened it out. The plan was to lift the lid, push the snake into the water and flush. The snake would be sucked down the drain. Crisis solved. So, I tip-toed over to the toilet, lifted the lid and poked the snake. It fell into the water, and I flushed.
I learned three things about snakes at that moment. First, they are very buoyant. Secondly, they swim really well. In an act of desperation, I even tried to hold the snake under the water with the clothes hanger. Lesson number three. They can hold their breath for a reall, long time. There was only one thing left to do. Call Bob, our friend and neighbor. Bob was a biology teacher, so he knew about snakes. Bob liked snakes. Bob wasn’t afraid of snakes. And Bob lived right down the street. So we made the call and in a few minutes Bob came to the rescue. He assured us that it was harmless, and he reached down and picked up the snake. Bob was a little weird like that.
The girls went to bed and David and Sue went on to take the job at the church. At least they knew we obviously didn’t practice snake handling. For years…Rebecca rarely visited the bathroom without first checking under the seat. Judy and I learned to be a bit less suspicious of our girls’ bedtime antics. And Bob…well although he lives an hour away, I keep his number of speed-dial. It always pays off to have a friend like Bob.
I keep God on speed dial too. In all the craziness that night there was a lot of praying going on. And like Bob, actually even better than Bob, God is always there. He doesn’t care if it something crazy like a snake in the toilet or a pandemic in the world…He can handle it. God tells us in the Bible that when we get in trouble, when we don’t know what to do, or when we simply don’t know the answer, give Him a holler and He will come to the rescue. You know, I’m glad for friends like Bob. I’m especially glad for a Friend like Jesus. He’s never surprised when I call…never too busy…never annoyed. He just whispers, “No problem, Dewayne. Take it easy. You can rest in me. I’ve got this.” Bro. Dewayne
Grits with Grace 