Maybe I should rename this blog to “The Garner Zoo” since, as of this writing, the animals now equal the number of people in the home. Besides the Garner 5, we also have a cat (Pug), two birds (Baby and Buddie), a hermit crab (“the crab”) and now a baby bearded dragon (Ed). My good friend, and one of the preachers in my church, Ed Anton might take offense to this… but I assure you I wanted to name a lizard ‘Ed’ since long before I was in the church. But this ‘Ed’ ALSO has a spiritual impact on my life.
We seem to be going through a Noah’s Arc phase in our household now. I think it all started with Trina finding a cockatiel with cage for sale at a yard sale for $20. Having raised a cockatiel as a child, she could not pass up the offer. The bird, named ‘Baby’ yet fully grown, came into the house with an unknown past. Soon afterwards, Trina began to long for the chirps of a baby bird to hand feed. So, for Valentine’s Day, I let her get a baby cockatiel which the boys named ‘Buddy.’ (Once we found out that he was a she, it became ‘Buddie.’)
So with a house full of pets, I kept reminding her of how I always wanted a lizard to sit on my shoulder and lay down with me and watch movies. So she actually convinced me to go get a lizard. And here we have ‘Ed.’ (The boys want to call him ‘Spike’ after their favorite vampire in Buffy.) And already, Ed is proving to be the perfect pet for me.
When I say perfect pet, I don’t just mean to handle and enjoy. As some readers of this blog will remember, I have a degenerated disc pushing on my nerves causes chronic pain. It’s difficult for me to sit and walk for long periods. I have a series of exercises that help me get in shape, but the funny thing about pain is that it is depressing. And when you are depressed, you lose motivation. But a pet, especially one that you really want, is a great way to ease depression and motivate you to become more active. Since I got Ed, I have been out in the car EVERY DAY to get his daily ration of crickets. I have also been active around the house preparing his veggies and cleaning his cage on a daily basis. I take him in the backyard and let him soak up the sun while I watch the boys play in the water. And I even sit in a normal chair as I feed him his crickets and watch him hunt them down in his cage. I’ve been more active and doing exercises that I normally would be too lazy to do. I was able to make it out to church this past Sunday… even though I had to leave a little early due to pain. Bottom line: Ed has given me a bit of zeal in my day that I was lacking before.
I think we, as Christians, might take something away from Ed’s effect on my pain. In caring for him, I have pushed myself beyond my limits without even noticing. I have begun to regain some strength from even the simple walks I take in the morning to go get coffee and an apple for Ed. The act of adopting a cause, caring for that cause and working for it as if for the Lord, has re-energized me. Consider a time when you have decided to help out a friend, family member or co-worker and you spend a huge portion of your energy, time and money on helping that person out. How did you feel afterwards? I remember whenever I help others, it gives me an incredible sense of purpose and usefulness. It may be a stretch to compare caring for an animal and serving a friend, but if you seem to be slow in your walk, weak in your faith and sad in your face, adopting a person’s problem is sure to turn you around. After all, once you deal with other people’s problems, you may find your problems are not so serious afterall.
“Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.” 1 Peter 4:10
