out of place

Thursday was a day of interesting finds as I cleaned the church. It began with one of these in the bathroom between the nursery and the 2's and 3's classroom. I had a clorox wipe in my hand when I saw it scurrying behind the tiny toilet. Given the fact that there are babies and toddlers going to those classes Sunday I "manned up" and caught that blue tailed lizard (using the clorox wipe to protect my hand from touching it ) and hustled to an exterior door to release him. I was proud of myself for catching him in one piece...

however, as he tumbled I noticed his tail drop in a different place than he did.

I went back to finish cleaning the bathroom and looked up into the eyes of the largest cricket I have ever seen sitting on the inside of the door frame. I tried to grab it, but it jumped to save itself. I saw where it landed and bent to pick it up, bare handed, but it jumped again and I couldn't find it anywhere. I hope it doesn't come out of hiding and frighten the children Sunday morning.

I moved across the hall to the room the 4's and 5's meet in. I swept under the table in the corner with the Swiffer, like I do every week, but this week I pulled out a monster bug. He was not alive so getting rid of him was a breeze.

I kept cleaning, found a few dead normal sized crickets, a few grand daddy long legs and a few spider webs that I needed to take care of, knowing they may be rebuilt before Sunday. It's that time of year. 

I don't think the lizard intended to end up in the bathroom.
He probably didn't expect to lose his tail either.
But he did.
I don't think the cricket planned on being where he was.
I startled him and he took a leap to escape what he perceived to be a danger.
He is still on the loose.
Spiders and granddaddy long legs belong outside so I had to get rid of them.

The last floor area I clean is the carpet in the sanctuary. When I glanced in the sound booth I saw something I have never seen there, nor would I have ever expected to find one there. In one of the classrooms, the library or a hallway, even in the bathroom yes, but in the sound booth, never. 

None of the things I have written about were where they "should" be. 
Simply put, they were out of place.
I know how that feels.

Sometimes I find myself scurrying. Cornered where I never intended to be. I escape, but not without losing part of myself in the process.

Other times I find myself taking a leap of faith to get to safety.

There are times I lay down, knowing that though they may not be in the same place I am, I have fellow warriors fighting the same kinds of battles I fight. Every single day. We are out of place here and that's as it should be for now...
But one day everything will change and we will be right where we should be.
Home.