I was driving over to a Christian Businessman’s Connection, (CMBC) meeting in a neighboring community the other day and as usual was running late. I was speeding along at 70 plus in a 60 mile zone zipping through traffic when I happened to notice that a little tree frog was stuck to my rear view mirror.
He was in a perilous looking position. The wind was blowing all around him but he tenaciously hung on to the mirror. Just when I thought that he was in a good position and nicely protected from the wind in the middle of the big truck’s rear view mirror, he suddenly jumped to the window.
Not good! I thought that his was not a particularly brilliant move and I really questioned his judgment on that one.
Now the wind was really whipping away at him and I was afraid he would be torn from it. But he did manage to stick to it; (even his white belly seemed to be used for a suction cup). As I continued down the road, he nearly lost his grip several times, but somehow he managed to inch forwards towards the window sill and once again find some protection from the wind, (though not as much as before). I kept watching him and wondered what I should do.
I wanted to slow down and pull off the side of the road to release the little critter, but I was late to my meeting and in heavy traffic and besides he looked like he now had a good enough grip to hang on. I thought about lowering my window but he was stuck to it and I feared that move might scrape him off.
I kept driving and watching the wind blowing him and I noticed him moving again. I said out loud, “Careful man, you don’t want to get caught in that wind”. He would venture back towards me an inch or two and the wind would start ripping at him and then he would work his way back towards the window sill and find some protection from it. This went on for fifteen minutes or more.
Suddenly he hopped back towards me.
Oh No-o-o-o-o-o-o!!!!
That was idiotic. He lost his grip and I let out a yell as I watched him fly backwards and out of sight. I quickly turned around hoping to see him miraculously stuck to a rear window, but alas the little frog was gone.
Sigh . . . I don’t see how he might have survived. I was driving 70 in the fast lane in traffic.
I’m still bummed out about that little frog. I wish I would have just slowed down and rescued him and been late for my meeting; I wish that he would have just been content to stay where he was for another 15 minutes; I wish that I’d at least attempted to lower the window and maybe I could have grabbed him and let him inside the safety of my truck.
Groan . . . I wish – I wish – I wish . . .
I thought about this incident this morning and it reminded me of how far I’ve come since that occurrence in my childhood when as a five year old boy I nailed my pet rabbit to a shed driving a large nail through his neck. I stood out there and watched him die, all the while maniacally laughing as red blood ran down the white fur on his neck.
It was the first of many incidents of cruel senseless behavior that plagued me well into adulthood. I became bitterly mean and violent to animals and people. I was hurting and wanted to hurt things back and did.
Then I found Jesus Christ and He softened my hard heart. Psychiatrists had diagnosed me as a sociopath, (psychopath), and told me that I was devoid of a conscience, incapable of love, and worst of all they stated that my condition was incurable. The chief psychiatrist even offered that I might well be on my way to becoming a serial killer.
But today I get all worked up about a little frog that got ripped from my window by the wind to his great peril. I feel remorse that I didn’t do something to prevent it and I can’t get the image of him flying backwards to his death out of my mind.
Today I do have a conscience and yes I deeply love. God can and does change lives my friends and no problem is incurable for Him, provided we will just turn to Him.
This world is a dangerous crazy place and sad things happen. Sometimes it just seems senseless to me, but we do have a Father who loves us and wants to make us happy and remove our pain and does. Maybe that’s why we have pain in this life; in order that He might draw us close to His loving presence and let him heal our broken hearts . . .
Selah . . .
Psalm 34:18
The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.