Not everybody wants to admit it, but we all have fears. Not only do they vary from person to person, but they are also very real and upsetting. That being said, if you don’t have a certain fear, then I think you should help others who are experiencing the same one. For example, I am terrified of spiders. When I see one at home, I call for my husband Tim to get rid of it since he isn’t afraid of them. Actually, that happens a lot for me, but there was an instance when I was the one to come to the rescue of others. Obviously, it wasn’t because of a spider.
Maybe rescue is too strong of a word since nobody was in any immediate danger, but all the screaming did make it sound that way. It started at work when I heard Renne exclaim: “It’s on this side of the window!” I didn’t think anything of it initially. In my mind, I envisioned some kind of bug. Then I heard the word: “Lizard!” I turned to see this little lizard running across the floor. It wasn’t more than a few inches long. My coworkers Renne, Rebecaa, and Rachel ran or jumped onto their chairs while screaming. Actually, my Mamaw Jo would have used a better term: “They were a hoopin’ and hollerin’.” The lizard ran in under a cabinet. Then everybody calmed down since they thought it would stay in there and never come back out. They were wrong.
As soon as it crawled back out, the excitement started up again. I knew something had to be done and I was the one to do it. When I was a girl, I had a pet lizard that I used to carry around. So, I didn’t have a fear of the little guy, but at the same time I didn’t want to hurt it. I went into the breakroom and picked up a Styrofoam coffee cup and a paper towel. With them in my hands, I proceeded to chase the little guy across the floor. Let me tell you, it darted and zig zagged away each time I came near to it. Whenever I tried to scoop it up into the cup, the hoopin’ and hollerin’ intensified. Then the lizard made a mistake by running to hide behind a trash can that sat in a corner. In one fell swoop, I had scooted the trash can out and slipped the lizard into the cup. I placed the paper towel and my hand over the top of it. I yelled: “Open the door!” since I didn’t have any free hands to do it. Rachel opened the door and I ran out into the grass and let the little lizard go. I have to admit that I felt bad for it. How terrifying was the encounter to him?
“Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.” Philippians 2:4 (KJV)
I don’t think this verse is an excuse to be nosy and/or bossy. Rather, it is about realizing others are experiencing a problem and helping them with it. Always try to stay aware of what is happening around you. If you do have the chance to help, you could use that to show the love and compassion of our Lord. Besides, you never know when you may need help yourself.
I had so much fun and excitement while chasing after the lizard. You know, I had to wonder if that’s anything like how a cowboy or cowgirl feel while chasing a calf during a rodeo. When I wrangled it into that cup, maybe I should have yelled “Yee Haw!”

I want to say a big: "Thank you." to my coworker Rachel Acree for drawing the picture for this story.

Brooke Cox is an author, speaker, and storyteller. She was a 2016 Selah Awards Finalist for Debut Novel. Her children’s book: “Dinosaur Eggs,” is now available. It is based on Ephesians 6: The Armor of God. Her novel “Until the Moon Rises: A Conniving Cousin Mystery” is also available. Also, she has two books out in her storytelling series: “Saucy Southern Stories.” The Amazon links for her books may be found on her website: brookecoxstories.com. Please feel free to contact her. She would love to hear from you.