Local transportation in Haiti
The tarantula. A large, hairy spider, common to the tropical and desert
regions of the Americas. Its body can measure up to three inches in diameter and
its legs can reach ten inches in length. In addition to its scary size, it also
bites. A perfect pet for the home, wouldn't you think?
To say that the young ladies at our mission station in Port-au-Prince, Haiti,
were not particularly fond of this "little" creature would have been a serious
understatement. With this knowledge in mind, the local Haitian boys devised a
"wonderful" plan that they couldn't wait to execute. After ensuring that all the
girls were there, they crept across the yard and onto the veranda to release a
beautiful, hairy tarantula into the kitchen of the house that the female student
missionaries called home.
The little pet went unnoticed at first, but as it began to explore its new home,
it was suddenly frightened out of its wits by an ear-piercing shriek:
"Heeeeeehhhhhhhhelllllllllppppppppppp!!!! A....a.....a.... monster!"
"A monster?" thought the tarantula. "Surely not me!"
It wasn't long before other voices joined in with the first, and very soon the
creature was surrounded by a "quaint" choir of screams:
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH-HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Outside the house, the local boys rolled on the grass with tears streaming down
their faces, laughing so hard that they could hardly breathe. Finally one of the
more compassionate of the group decided it was time to come to the rescue of the
fair damsels in distress. He politely knocked on the door, but when no one heard
him, he opened it and cautiously entered. The girls were all standing on the
kitchen chairs, two or more to each one, their eyes bulging out of their faces
as their voices continued their not-so-quaint chorus:
AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"Can I be of any help?" the innocent-looking boy called out over the ruckus. The
word "help" instantly got their attention. "There...there is a horrible
tarantula right...right there!" they screamed.
The young man courageously approached the poor creature, and only stopping
briefly to make sure all eyes were upon him, he lifted his bare foot and smashed
the head of the hapless, hairy monster. Instantly the chorus of screams changed
to a choir of thanksgiving and adoration as the girls came down from their
chairs and surrounded this once-ordinary boy turned superhero.
Soon, however, the sound of howling laughter on the veranda drew the girls'
attention away from their champion. It didn't take them long to realize that
they had just been the victims of an evil prank, and in just a few seconds,
their new hero found himself rolling out the door to join his sinister comrades,
robbed once and for all of his "superman" status.
Have you ever had days where you have been confronted at work or at home by
hairy monsters or long-legged nightmares? Your "tarantula" may be a domineering
boss or a jealous, intolerable colleague; or it may be a drunken spouse or
financial difficulties. But no matter what your "tarantula" looks like, it is
very real and it doesn't go away. Who do you rely on when confronting these
nightmarish troubles? Do you make the same mistake as those student missionaries
and rely on those who are the cause of your problems? Or even worse, do you rely
on yourself?
Why not look to Jesus instead? He's the One who promises generous help to anyone
who believes: "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives
generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when
he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of
the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive
anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does."
(James 1: 5-8) NIV
Jesus is faithful and will come through for you. But notice that if we doubt, we
are being "double-minded" and will not "receive anything from the Lord". We are
left on our own devises.
So instead of screaming until you lose your voice the next time you face a
"tarantula", remember James 4:8: "Come near to God and He will come near to
you." If you stand on this promise, without doubting, I can assure you that He
will rescue you from the "tarantulas" of your life!
Do you have any tarantula troubles? Call JESUS to the rescue!
Rob Chaffart
The Illustrator: This daily newsletter is dedicated to encouraging
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