The Frog Pond 
by Ron Boehm

What does a man’s life consist of? A children’s rhyme would remind us that it’s "frogs and snails and puppy dog tails." From what I can remember, frogs and snails hibernate in the winter so what does that have to do with us?

A frog started as a little tad, smaller than your little finger. A snail started as a little slug. The "tad" needs to be transformed and the slug needs maturity to gain its protection. Each one needs some changing but neither one does anything to attain it.

I’ve been trying so hard to change that I am now looking at being reduced to the worth of a frog or a slug. Frogs are afraid of fish – BIG fish. The snail leaves everyone alone. That is the price of trying hard: fear and loneliness. You will often find frogs under the muck -- a nice safe place, especially when it is cold. Did you ever see a man when people act cold to him? He starts digging around in the muck and buries himself. On the other hand snails have this uncanny ability to glide over the top of it. If I remember right, they even eat what grows out of the muck. This pretty much describes me.

This morning I got the advantage; I started to sing to the Lord a new song. I had never heard it before. Frogs can only croak while snails can only carry the treble clef on their backs, but my Lord made me feel like a son – not afraid of anything. I started to wag my tail after discovering the renewed strength to try, TRY again!

No wonder they say little boys are made of frogs and snails and puppy dog tails. I know it is time to grow up and get out of the muck. I know it is time to stop eating what grows out of the muck. It is even time to stop wagging my tail at the first sign of strength. That’s fine if you are a dog, but not if you are man.

"They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings as eagles. They shall run and not grow weary. They shall walk and not grow faint…." It is amazing to me how immature I can be, even when I’m in my mid-forties. This analogy of frogs and snails describes an unbelieving believer who needs to have the "Son of God" drag him out of the muck of despondence and remind him, "You are NOT a frog. You are HOLY! You are better than those things to Me!" This unbelieving believer also needs to be reminded that even after he is cleaned up, he should not think that he has gotten this "being clean" thing right. After all, it wasn’t he who did the cleaning.

I will be who I am, because HE is Who HE is. Thankfully HE can -- through what I am – do the impossible, if I will only believe that He rewards those who diligently seek Him. I can rest in Him. I seek as a "Not" -- not as an "I am." Because He IS, He will take care of me.