Did the title make you think of the old “Columbo” TV show? I have always loved that show. Even now I watch it if it’s on. My husband Tim sighs and asks, “How many times have you seen that episode? You know how it ends.” While he’s right, I still have to watch it. But I am not going to talk about “Columbo.” I am going to talk about what happened in our living room year ago.
I was fourteen years old and it was summer, so I was kinda at home by myself. I say that because my grandparents lived next door. This one day I was walking into the living room when I spotted it. Marching across the floor like it owned the place was a good-sized brown icky spider. We both stopped at the same time. You know, it really is amazing how they know when somebody sees them.
Anyway, I realized there was no way I could stay in that house knowing that creepy thing was crawling around somewhere. I needed to find a way to get rid of it. Did you immediately think, “Just step on it.” That was simply not an option. For one, I didn’t want to get that close to it. Second, those things jump. I could not stand the thought of it jumping on me without anybody being close enough to knock it off as I screamed and jumped around.
At that point, I realized I would have to throw something at it. I looked around and saw the phonebook. This happened back in the early eighties before cell phones. Everybody had land lines and the phone company printed out phonebooks every year. They were a few inches thick and had just enough weight to squash a bug flat. Actually, spiders are not bugs, but they do squash the same. So, I picked up the phonebook and threw it at the spider. Then I ran out the door and to my grandparent’s house for safety.
“Thou are my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from the trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah.” Psalm 32:7 (KJV)
My hiding place was my grandparents’ house. Why? Because I always felt safe there; even from spiders. Actually, The Lord should always be our hiding place. A place where we go for safety from the troubles of this world. And when we do, He will surround us with the songs of deliverance, which is meant as a source of comfort. Where do you run to during times of trouble?
After a couple of hours, I gathered up enough courage to go back to my house. When I looked into the living room, I saw the phonebook still sitting on the floor. I waited and looked around for a few seconds. No spider. I grabbed the yardstick and slowly raised up the book. Yep, there it was; squished on the bottom. Still yet, I left it there until my mom came in from work. She was kind enough to scrape it off and into the trash can.
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.