The Tale (Not Tail) of the Frozen Gecko
Tuesday, February 3, 2026
“That God should consider His fallen creature, man, and instead of sweeping him away with the broom of destruction should Himself undertake to be man’s Redeemer and to pay his ransom price is indeed marvelous!” – C.H. Spurgeon
Speaking of fallen creatures…
On Sunday morning, Deanna went out on our back porch to survey the “damage” from the previous night’s record cold temperatures. It got down to about 26 degrees (yes, in southeast Florida!) and with winds gusts of 40 mph, the wind chill dipped into the single digits.
As a precaution, Deanna brought all our potted plants into our garage the day before and covered her flower beds with sheets as best she could. Unfortunately, the wind kept blowing the sheets off and as a result, she most likely lost some of her impatiens and possibly a few others due to the cold snap. However, we really can’t complain, especially when you consider the frigid arctic temperatures and heavy snowfalls that people in other state have experienced this winter.
Thankfully, it is warming up into the 60s on Tuesday and the 70s on Wednesday. That is especially good news for the “fallen creature” that Deanna rescued on Sunday morning: a gecko who was frozen solid on our back porch. A diehard animal lover, she brought the gecko into our house, wrapped its stiff little body in a warm towel, and placed it in a box. By the time we got home from church, a visit to see my mom, and lunch,,, guess what? The once-frozen gecko was already starting to stir and show signs of life!
My friend, God could have looked at you and me in our fallen condition and “swept us away” like a frozen gecko. After all, we had willfully sinned and turned our backs on Him (Isaiah 53:6). But just like Deanna, He looked at us in our helpless state through eyes of compassion and showed us both grace and mercy instead of the condemnation and judgment we so richly deserved.
Not only that, but He paid the ransom price for our redemption!
Deanna deserves credit for saving that little lizard’s life, but she didn’t lay down her own life to do it. And yet, that is exactly what Jesus did to rescue you and me. Praise His Holy Name!
“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” Mark 10:45 (NKJV)
- Rev. Dale M. Glading, President
