Drama in the Swimming Pool

Yesterday afternoon was very windy. It was a high pollution advisory day and very bad for people with allergies. Since I have been suffering pretty badly the last few days with watery eyes, runny nose and cough, I was cautious about wanting to be outside and aggravate my condition.

However, when I got home, I noticed out the window that one of my Lady Banks roses had blown down so I went out to tie it up before it got damaged. I saw that a lot of leaves had blown into the pool and so I decided to start the pool filter to keep them from dropping to the bottom. Then I grabbed the skimmer and starting trying to take some of the leaves off the pool. Now mind you, I wasn't really thinking all that much, just sort of holding the skimmer and making my way around the edge of the pool. About half way around, I found a rat floating dead. Yuck!! I was grossed out let me tell you. At first I just stopped and stared. Then I thought that I really didn't want to touch it (even with the skimmer!) But then I thought of it rotting at the bottom of the pool and got going. I threw it in the trash barrel I keep in my shed. I felt violated that an ugly rodent had made it into my beautiful back yard. It was just plain gross!

It was about 6 inches, not counting tail. Looking more closely at it, and not really for too long, it actually looked more like an oversized mouse. I thought about it after it was gone, and thought it must be a desert rat. Maybe it was thirsty and got into the yard for water, tried to reach down and fell in. Then I thought about it swimming and swimming and not being able to get out. How scared it must have been! How long did it paddle around, vainly trying to get out before exhaustion took over and then it finally succombed to drowning?

Then I felt sad. A creature of nature fought for life and lost it in my back yard. I know this sounds a bit melodramatic, but I honestly had these thoughts and feelings. I realized that my original impression of a gross, disgusting thing in my beautiful oasis was really a creature of nature, like my yard, and that it was really no different than the hummingbirds making their home there. It was kind of revealing to me to think that I had been judgmental. But then I realized that, with a change of perspective, even the ugly begins to fit. Then it came to mind - we are all God's creatures.

And that became the gift of the day - a dead rat reminded me of God.