JIM RETIRED in 2000 and I retired in 2001. We decided that when we both were retired we would sell our house and move to where our Son and his family lived, to be closer to our grandsons. We finished all the up grades we were going to make to our house and so it was time to put it on the market. Our realtor made arrangements for an open house for realtor’s only. Upon returning home, one of these realtor’s was still looking around and suggested we should have an inspection because of the “carpenter ants” that were seen in our bedroom. I was shocked and perplexed! “What is a carpenter ant”; I asked! She told me they were big black ants that eat wood. Sort of like a termite! I went into the bedroom and sure enough I saw a big black ant on my mirror above the bathroom sink. Then I found one on the dressing table in the bedroom. I began to inspect the whole room and found three more. One on the drapes, on the bed and on the floor. Where did these come from?
WHEN JIM arrived home I told him about the ants. He called the name of the inspector that the questioning realtor left with us. The inspector came out the next day and found no carpenter ants but he did find a little dry rot on one of the corner eves of the house. We made arrangements to have that fixed but what about the carpenter ants! He had no explanation about the ants and how only five made it in. Within a couple of weeks our house sold and the rest is history.
EVERY once in a while I think about the carpenter ants. I still wonder about how they got into our bedroom, if they did not penetrate the walls. Did they come in on someone’s clothes or were they carried in another way. I am probably a more suspicious person than Jim is but even he has wondered about the surreptitious appearance of the carpenter ants. Did someone bring them in purposely? After all the realtor gave us a name to call for the inspection! Were they in cahoots with each other?
OBVIOUSLY the house needed the inspection because of the dry rot, but the idea of someone wanting to trick us into having this done is a questionable business tactic. We are all aware of advertisements which bring you in, and when you get there they are out of the product, but have something else available which probably is not really want you want, and costs a whole lot more. I remember that tactic when buying a car, and was warned to watch for!
AS A CHILD one of the things I remember our preacher saying was; “Don’t take my word for it, go home and check out the scriptures for yourselves.” I took him at his word and to this day, I go home and check out the scriptures for myself. Do you look beyond the pulpit or the teacher? Do you know what God’s Word is saying to you? Can you apply it and make it a part of your life?
GOD’S WORD says to watch for the wolves in sheep’s clothing. “Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruit. Good trees bear good fruit but bad trees bear bad fruit.” Matthew 7:15-17 Jesus continues with “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves. Beware of men, for they will deliver you up to the courts and scourge you in their synagogues.” Matthew 10:16-17 Even if we are called His sheep and follow wherever He leads, let us remember that many will dress up in sanctified clothing and can cause us to stray. We are to know our shepherd! We are to know His voice! We are to pay attention! Let’s be sure to hold fast! For when we do; the tempter cannot lead us astray! Jesus has promised to never leave us nor forsake us, but we must do are part; know His Word! (Written 2/1/08) By Jane Ann Crenshaw 3/29/14
No comments:
Post a Comment