Trust...

Trust. This small word has big implications. When are you most aware of trust?? When things are gliding along smoothly in life? When it is broken? When it is put to the test?? Probably there is an element of all of these from time to time that makes up TRUST in our lives. Recently I was forced to place my trust back firmly where it belonged after a few minor incidents in and around our home. First, there was the night I came back into the kitchen to find a very strong smell of bug spray. Alan was finishing up the dishes, and I'd just tucked the last little munchkin into bed. I commented on the smell, and asked generally if there had been some creepy crawlies that he'd had to deal with. He said, "yeah." Maybe it was the tone of voice or the non-descriptive answer that caught my attention, I can't quite remember now...but I replied with, "Something big and nasty?" I am personally thinking...large cockroach, maybe?? The reply was, again, "yeah." With which my curiosity was now well and truly piqued. "Are you going to tell me what it was?"
"Only if you promise not to freak out." (Insert palpable pause here) "OK..." "It was a scorpion." "Right...is it dead, or has it gone into hiding...??" "It's dead."

Now this is only the second time in over two and a half years that we've had a scorpion in the house, but this is the only one that was "further in" so to speak than just inside the door. But, only about an hour before, Natalie had been crawling and playing in the area where Alan killed it. Scorpion stings are not usually deadly, except occasionally to small children, who can have an anaphalactic reaction to their sting. My first thought was, "Praise the Lord for his protection". My second was, "will I be able to let Natalie crawl around so freely again tomorrow?" Trust.

The second incident occured when we were away for a long weekend. When we returned our gardener informed us that he killed a viper outside, along the side of our house. He'd seen it leave our porch/laundry area (where it had caught/killed a lizard for it's dinner). I have gotten used to the fact that lizards frequent this area, and even realize the potential for scorpions to be there, as it is outside, but screened and covered. I never thought that there could be a snake there. There is a door that leads from this area into the back half of our house, where the bedrooms are. The screen door has a tendancy to stick open, when the door is opened wide, and the children are not paying close attention. I regularly find myself wondering how long the screen door has been left open, and if any lizards have managed to find their way into the house. Now I suppose in theory a snake could make its way inside... Again, I am thankful to the Lord that we were not home, and that His loving hand of protection is upon us. But...thoughts can wander. Trust. Yes, trust. I made a concious decision on each of those days to place my trust back firmly where it belonged. In the Lord. Was it automatic? No. Did I feel better after making a choice to continue trusting the Lord for our family's safety?? ABSOLUTELY!!!!