I Wasn't Ready

When I was around 13 years old, I wanted an iguana as a pet. I heard they were both enjoyable and inexpensive to care for, and since an iguana was a small enough pet, my parents agreed to let me have one. I diligently saved up money and purchased all the necessary supplies: an aquarium, a hot rock, a heat lamp, bedding, a stock of dead crickets for feeding, and even a leash.

I named him Gex and was convinced he would fulfill all my expectations of a perfect pet. However, it quickly became apparent that iguanas are not the most friendly creatures. It did not take long for me to realize iguanas are about the meanest little lizards you can own. They use their tails like whips and their claws are like the claws of a miniature velociraptor. Every attempt to interact with Gex resulted in painful welts and scratches on my arms. Despite my efforts to play with him or even just feed him, Gex showed no signs of affection and seemed to despise my presence.

We attempted to feed him once a week, but he rarely showed interest in the crickets we provided. Instead, he mostly remained still on his hot rock, with uneaten crickets piling up around him. Concerned by his lack of movement, I eventually mustered the courage to examine him closely, only to find that Gex had already passed away, his body decaying while his skin remained intact. The exact time of his death remains a mystery to me.

Reflecting on this experience, I realized that despite my strong desire for an iguana, I was not ready for the responsibility and challenges that came with it. This serves as a reminder that there are times in life when we may receive what we want, but we are not yet equipped to handle it.

In our new series on the life of David, we will see how Israel wanted a king before they were ready for one. God had a plan and a king that would come in time, but the people jumped ahead of God's plan and caused all kinds of mayhem. Over the next weeks we will examine the victory of God’s plan despite a lot of poor human decisions.
 
But don't worry! There are some bright spots. Bright spots like tomorrow. We begin by examining a faithful woman named Hannah.