The Alligator Finally Showed Up For Church

This sign has captured my attention since the first time I set foot on the campus of St. Francis by the Sea last April.  Were alligators really in the small retention pond located directly behind the church?  I kept being told that there was a small one who tended to make this area home.  I finally saw it yesterday after all these months.  (Look at the turtles.  They do not seem to be concerned.)

This reminded me of the potential effects of complacency.  After all of these months with never seeing a single alligator in the pond, I just figured that none were present.  Today, I was not even looking for the alligator.  Thankfully, it was located on the opposite side of the pond.  I am not sure how I would have reacted if I had accidentally walked up on it in close proximity.

Are we lulled into complacency in our spiritual journey?  Do we ignore potential pitfalls?  Temptation to sin is no small matter.  If we are simply going through the motions we can miss the warning signs in front of us.  Being a person of prayer, keeping watch over our thoughts, guarding our eyes, and being careful with our speech can help us stay on track to living a life of holiness.  On the other hand, if we let our guard down and function with apathy and indifference, we can more easily fall into the trap of sin.

Be watchful!  Be alert!  Be vigilant!  Be holy!