Most times the news is so dreadfully depressing that it becomes a struggle to sit through the entire broadcast, but today I watched a story that made me giggle. It seems that the state of Florida has experienced a cold spell recently and some of the wildlife was having quite a unique reaction. Iguanas are cold-blooded creatures; they are dependent on outside temperatures to keep them warm. They have no way of regulating the internal heat within their own bodies, as a warm-blooded creature does. Due to that body feature, iguanas are best sustained in tropical climates, such as found in Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean; they are not native to Florida and are considered by Floridians as an invasive species. Cold-blooded iguanas begin to become sluggish at approximately 50 degrees Fahrenheit, and when lows plunged into the 30’s and 40’s in the Miami area, hypothermia becomes a factor. And when those iguanas become experience hypothermia, they become sluggish and eventually immobile…long story short…watch your head, those iguanas are about to fall out of those trees!
It was the “first day of the week,” with many “lights in the upper chamber” of the house. The hour was approaching midnight, yet many were still gathered, for the great apostle Paul “continued his speech.” What an honor to hear from this messenger of God; how fortunate to be among those “gathered together.” One such young man was Eutychus, whose named meant fortunate, but he would experience a bit of misfortune today. Since “Paul was long preaching,” Eutychus was overcome with drowsiness, fell asleep, and “fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead.” Eutychus was fortunate however, for Paul graciously embraces him, and through the power of God, restores his life, leaving this young man’s family “not a little comforted.” They would now be able to prepare for a meal, and not a funeral.
One could argue, I suppose, that Paul just preached too long. But when was the last time someone got tired at an athletic event? Baseball games average over 3 hours, an NBA game, 2 ½ hours, and a professional football game can drag on for what seems like eternity. And that’s not even considering overtime situations. Yet we stay glued to that game, invested in the outcome, mesmerized by every play. So why such a struggle on Sunday morning during a sermon that lasts a fraction of the time? Why such a battle to keep my mind focused and my soul alert to the moving of God’s Spirit. Perhaps, just as that iguana, I have allowed myself to become too cold, too numb to the wonder and privilege that is mine, the freedom to sit under the precious Word of God. The next time I feel myself getting dozy, perhaps the thought of falling iguanas will bring my mind back into focus.
Revelation 2:7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches;
Lord, how we take Your Word for granted. Help us, Your children, to exert as much focus and energy to the receiving of Your Word as we do for other worldly activities.