Lizard Wars and the Comfort of God's Presence

 I was sitting at my kitchen table when a movement caught my eye. I thought I was alone in the house, but apparently, I wasn’t. 

The movement—just a flash in my peripheral vision—made my heart thump. 

Small. 

Fast. 

With a tail. 

Oh, Lord, please don’t let it be a mouse. 

We had a mouse years before. I didn’t want to repeat that sequence of events. There’s nothing creepier than sharing your living space with a rodent. 

Rising slowly, I crept to the doorway and looked down the hall, dreading what I might see. Two shiny eyes stared back at me. 

LIZARD! 

I screamed. The lizard probably did, too, if lizards can scream, but I was making too much noise to notice. 

In a scramble that would have made the Three Stooges proud, we both ran toward the kitchen. The lizard scurried under the refrigerator, and I leaped onto a chair. 

Although I couldn’t see it, at least I knew where it was—for now. The only thing worse than having a lizard under your refrigerator is having a lizard loose in your house. I knew, for the moment, we were okay, but if it emerged and went somewhere else in the house, I probably wouldn't track it down for days. 

With one eye on the refrigerator, I pulled out the largest stainless-steel bowl I owned. I crept to the fridge, flipped the bowl upside down, and waited. I didn’t want to hurt the lizard. I just wanted to detain it until my husband, David, got home. Then he could take it outside and release it. 

Poised like a cat stalking a mouse, I held my breath. Every few minutes the lizard would poke its head out then retreat under the appliance. I knew timing was everything. If I slammed the bowl down too soon, I could hurt the lizard or send it off in another direction. 

About the time my arms started shaking and the bowl wobbled, the lizard’s head emerged from under the fridge. I saw its arms next, then its torso. When the tip of its tail cleared the fridge, I slammed down the bowl as fast and hard as I could. 

Success! Checking the circumference of the bowl to be sure I hadn’t amputated any lizard limbs, I sighed with relief. 

Thank you, Lord. 

I stacked a 5-lb. bag of flour on top of the bowl, just to be sure the little reptile didn’t escape, and waited for David to arrive. When he did, I explained in graphic detail every moment of the hunt, then finished with a burst. 

“Now you have to take over, because I don’t ever want to look at that creepy thing again. Please take it outside and let it go far, far away from the house.” 

Then I left the room. 

Minutes later he appeared in the doorway. 

“Did you let it go?” 

“Not exactly.” 

“What do you mean, ‘not exactly’?” 

“Well,” he said, not making eye contact. “It didn’t make it.” 

“Oh no!” I said. “Did I squish it? I tried really hard not to hurt it.” 

“No,” he said, shaking his head. “There wasn’t a mark on it.” 

“Then what happened?” 

“I think it died of a heart attack. You probably scared it to death.” 

The feeling is mutual, I thought, with only a twinge of remorse. 

Unlike my friend Linnea, who occasionally finds a bear on her screened porch or a porcupine up her tree, I don’t encounter wildlife very often. A wayward lizard, a tree frog, or a mole is about as exotic as my animal encounters go. Regardless, they unsettle me. I’d much prefer to let my husband handle my critter problems. 

Sometimes, however, he’s not around, and I must take matters into my own hands. Or wait until he returns home. 

I’m so glad God is available 24/7. 

Scripture tells me He’s always with me. I don’t have to wait for him to arrive or make an appointment to request His help. 

I don’t have to exhaust all other options before I cry out to Him. No heavenly triage nurse compares my needs against others’ and places me in the queue. Even if a million other voices come to Him in prayer, He still hears my request. 

Isaiah 65:24 reminds me, “Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear.” 

God’s omnipresence doesn’t release me from seeking wise counsel and taking appropriate action, but it gives me a reliable source of insight, comfort, and strength. When I go to God first, He equips me to face whatever comes my way. Even when I must fight the battle on my own, like that day with the lizard, I’m never truly alone. 

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,” Psalm 23:4 reminds me, “I will fear no evil, for you are with me.” 

I don’t know what you’re facing today, but God does. He’s as close as a prayer and eager to help. 

Cry out to Him today. 

Does Your Faith Need Refreshing?

That's in the Bible? I've never noticed that before!

It's probably been too long since you've newly discovered a story that speaks to your soul or a verse that pops with truth. But that's about to change!


Refresh Your Faith contains 66 culturally relevant, story-driven devotions, one from each book of the Bible. Each real-life story spotlights an unusual verse or Bible passage that you may have overlooked in your usual Bible reading. Lori Hatcher challenges you with additional features like an uncommon thought to ponder; an unusual faith action step; and an unfamiliar passage suggestion for additional Bible reading.

When the fabulous has become familiar and your quiet times are more like nap times, it's time to step out of spiritual boredom and ignite the spark that will keep you growing. No matter where you are on your faith journey, Lori's conversational and engaging style will challenge you to think about things you've never thought about before.

“Real-life inspiration and candid wit. These 5-minute devotions will change your life.” —Psychologist and best-selling author Dr. Kevin Leman, commenting on Lori Hatcher's devotional style

Are you hungry for God, but starving for time? 
I’d love to send you a 5-minute e-mail devotion twice a week to start your day off with the Lord. 

Sign up for a free subscription to Hungry for God by CLICKING HERE.
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Note: I promise never to spam you or share your email address.

Because busy women need to connect with God in the craziness of everyday life.

God Doesn't Have a Phone Tree

In the age of cell phones, if someone doesn’t want to take your call, they silence it, decline it, or send it to voice mail. 

A friend shared a recent communication frustration. “I was trying to get information. I climbed every branch of the business’s phone tree and left three voice mails—no response. I called in the morning, at lunch time, and in mid-afternoon. Finally, I drove down to the office and camped out in the waiting room until I could speak to a real person who could help me. Sheesh! Three days of my life that I can never get back again.” 

I’m thankful God doesn’t take days to get back to us. Isaiah 65:24 tells us he’s the exact opposite. “Before they call I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear.” 

Unlike people who dodge our calls, ignore our messages, and refuse to respond to our requests, God answers us before we call and before we begin speaking. No ten-limb phone tree to climb, just the kind, comforting voice of God saying, “How may I help you?” 

How can this truth impact your prayer life? Think on this today.

Are you hungry for God, but starving for time? 
I’d love to send you a 5-minute e-mail devotion twice a week to start your day off with the Lord. 

Sign up for a free subscription to Hungry for God by CLICKING HERE.
Then, be sure to VALIDATE the confirmation email you receive. 

Note: I promise never to spam you or share your email address.

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When God Cracks the Curtain on Our Prayers

Are you ever been surprised when prayer works? 

When I was a little girl, my grandmother taught me to pray whenever I heard a siren. “Fire trucks, police cars, and ambulances mean someone needs help,” she’d say, “so always say a prayer.” I took her words to heart and have prayed for people who need ambulances and fire trucks all my life. I taught my daughters to do the same. Now I’m teaching my grandchildren. 

They were visiting one evening recently. Caroline (4), Andrew (2), and I were sitting on the front porch. A storm was brewing, and we could hear thunder to our west. Conscious that children are often frightened by thunder and lightning, I used the coming storm as a teaching opportunity. 

“We don’t have to be frightened by thunder. It’s just warm and cold air bumping together and making noise. But we do have to respect lightning. You never want to be out in the open during a storm.” 

As if on cue, a bright light crackled in the distance. More thunder rumbled. Then, over the noise, we heard a different sound—high pitched and urgent. Caroline recognized it first. 

“That’s a ambulance, Gigi.” 

Another insistent wail joined the first. Then another. And another. 

“And those are fire trucks,” I said. “We’d better pray for the people who need them.” We closed our eyes and prayed. “Dear Jesus, please be with the people who need the fire trucks and the ambulance. We don’t know who they are, but you do. Help them be okay. And keep the firemen safe, too.” 

“And if the people don’t know Jesus . . .” Caroline added, opening one eye and looking at me to finish the familiar prayer. 

“. . . send someone to tell them about you. In Jesus name we ask, Amen.” 

We went inside, ate dinner, and settled down to play Candy Land when my daughter glanced at her phone. “Oh no!” she said. “There’s a house on fire in our neighborhood.” Clicking and swiping for a closer look at the news photo, she quickly determined it wasn’t their house. We all breathed a sigh of relief. 

But then our thoughts went to the family whose home was on fire. 

“Caroline!” I said. “Remember the sirens we heard? Those fire trucks must have been on their way to your neighborhood. Maybe the house was struck by lightning. I’m so glad we prayed for them.” 

Later we learned that the family, including the cat, escaped with no injuries. 

Many times when God prompts me to pray, I never find out what the outcome is. I offer my prayers in faith, blindly. I seldom know the situation, the need, or the person for whom I’m praying. I just pray, trusting that God, who knows all the details, will apply my prayers as needed. 

Last week, however, was a different story. For whatever reason, God cracked the curtain on my prayers. Maybe it was to grow my faith. Or perhaps to grow my grandchildren’s. 

Regardless, I’m even more committed to praying for fire trucks, ambulances, and police cars. School buses, city buses, and the neighbors who drive down my street. For people walking by, coworkers in my office, and the children who attend the nearby school. 

Who knows how God wants to use my prayers? 

Who knows how He wants to use yours? 

If you ever wonder if God hears you when you pray, rest assured. He not only hears you, it was His idea to prompt you to pray in the first place. 

“It shall come to pass that before they call, I will answer; And while they are still speaking, I will hear” (Isaiah 65:24 NKJV).

Are you hungry for God, but starving for time? 
I’d love to send you a 5-minute e-mail devotion twice a week to start your day off with the Lord. 

Sign up for a free subscription to Hungry for God by CLICKING HERE.
Then, be sure to VALIDATE the confirmation email you receive. 

Note: I promise never to spam you or share your email address.

Because busy women need to connect with God in the craziness of everyday life.