When I was around thirteen years old, I decided I wanted my own pet lizard. So, my parents took me to a pet store where I picked out a cute little gecko. And as you can tell by the title, I named it Godzilla. I thought it was funny, but I didn’t realize how apt the name would become.
If you read my article, “I Swannie,” then you know that my Mamaw Jo had no fear of spiders what so ever. For instance, one time she and Papaw were working in the garden when a huge one some how ended up on her shoulder. Guess it needed a ride. She politely and calmly flicked it off of her while laughing about it. If that had been me, that spider could’ve easily crawled off of my shoulder because I would’ve been laying on the ground from fainting.
Now don’t get the wrong idea, Mamaw Jo wasn’t completely fearless of all creepy crawling things. She was terrified of lizards, slugs, and any kind of worm. Whenever we would shuck corn, she would thoroughly examine each ear to make sure there were no worm holes or worms on it. If the ears had either, she gave them to me since I had no qualms about worms or lizards. After all, I used to dig them up in Mamaw Girdle/Myrtle’s flower garden.
Now, back to Godzilla. I kept him in a fish bowl with little props of trees logs and tall plants. Sometimes he would crawl up to the surface and peek his head out of the water. I would pluck him up and let him crawl up my arm. Everybody laughed except for Mamaw Jo. She would physically shudder when I did that, so I had to keep him in his bowl when she was to our house.
This one day, Mamaw Jo was visiting and I walked by Godzilla’s bowl. His empty bowl. My heart went into my throat. He had managed to crawl out and was loose somewhere in the house. I immediately went straight to my mom. She said to look for him without letting Mamaw Jo know there was a free crawling lizard somewhere in the house.
I looked all around my room first. No Godzilla anywhere. Next, I searched the hallway and then the bathroom. Still, no Godzilla. At that point, I was getting worried. What if somebody stepped on him or he fell in some crack somewhere? That’s when I heard the screams. I ran into the living room to see Mamaw Jo standing at the glass door with her back against the wall. About a foot from her on the floor was Godzilla looking up at her.
“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7 (KJV)
Like I said, Godzilla was staying true to his name in that he was terrifying. Terrifying to Mamaw Jo. But I can’t say much since I react the same way to spiders. Both of us let our fears over take our judgement, which meant we let those fears control us. That is not the kind of life The Lord wants us to have. So, whether you’re faced with a lizard, spider, or anything else, just remember to tap into His power.
You know, I have often wondered if Godzilla was frightened or stunned by Mamaw Jo’s screaming since he didn’t move at all. When I picked him up, maybe I was rescuing him from the situation as much as I had Mamaw Jo.

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.