Armadillo Wars

For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

2 Timothy 1:7 ESV

Some people question the need of mosquitoes; I wonder why God made armadillos. Ugly, armored warriors of the night, they have the ability to transform a backyard into a miniature golf course. Grunting as they forage for grubs and mole crickets, these heartless possums in a half shell, easily create a mini-minefield in an unsuspecting lawn. Oh, and did I mention, they also carry human leprosy. And to think people actually eat them in Texas. Don’t believe me? Next time you run over one offer it to a person with a star on their house. They’ll smile, say thank you, and then invite you fer dinner.

If all this sounds a bit personal, it is, because, well, it is. I have been at war for at least a month now with these mini armored tanks of terror and my patience has been growing thin; until last week. My enemy has been defeated. I will fill you in on the gruesome details at the end of this article. What’s the point?

God allows battles to arise that tests our resolve. Work stuff drives us crazy. Rearing children causes us to long for the yesteryears of kidlessness. I know that’s not an actual word, but it should be. We get muddled in the everyday and lose our way. We forget what the important stuff of life is because we are under attack on some front.

When Paul was encouraging his young mentor, Timothy, he declared that God had not given him the spirit of fear, but of power, love and self-control. He was told to flame the gift of God. He was to have the courage to forge ahead with life despite the obstacles. As Beethoven, who was losing his hearing, once cried, “I will take life by the throat.”

I am all for waiting on God, but I think sometimes, God is waiting on us. Do not just lay down and let the armadillos of life destroy your grass. If parenting isn’t working, change your strategy. If your workplace stinks, work to change things or look for a better job. Having trouble in a relationship? Talk, talk, talk until the thing gets better. Don’t just read about life, live life in all its trickiness.

So, what about the night raiders in my back yard? I set a trap and caught the male. I dragged the cage out into the open and sent him into armadillo purgatory (to pay for his sins), at the end of a twenty gauge. As I looked up, I saw his women racing towards the forest. With heart pounding I ran after her, pulling up every ten feet to pump and fire again and again. I must have looked like Elmer Fudd. Having run out of shots, I watched as she limped into the darkness, knowing that it was only a matter of time before she succumbed to her wounds.

My point is simple. Fight for your life. Deal with difficult situations. Do not, under any circumstances, wave the white flag of surrender. I have enjoyed a string of happy nights, knowing the demons of disaster are no longer destroying my backyard and it is because I choose to grab a shotgun and do something. What’s eating at you? Happy hunting.