Musings on Luther....And Other Oddities

If you are now reading this post in the hopes of gleaning some deep theological insights regarding one of the legendary figures of church history you will be disappointed if you read further. Though he bears the name of one of the great stalwarts of the doctrine of justification by faith alone, Luther the Lizard shares nothing else in common with Luther the Reformer. Despite the fact that I love posting on biblical/theological issues facing the family and the church, I could not help but take a moment and speak about Luther.

The apartment that Larissa, the boys, and I live in is essentially a pet free zone. No dogs and no cats. I am and always will be fine with the prohibition of cats, however, saying no to boys who really want a dog is pretty hard. The big man, in particular, can't get enough of any dog that comes within a hundred feet. For awhile this has been difficult for me. Though my boys have not made a big deal about it, I have known for a while that they would love to have a pet. Of course, what kind of pet could meet the approval of housing and momma.

I had all but given up on getting a pet while here at midwestern due primarily to the fact that I can't stand hamsters or goldfish. Then I had a run-in with a Leopard Gecko . I knew right away that this was an animal I could live with. They are relatively easy to take care of and feed. No walking, no paper training, no drool. You just watch him and feed him, which by the way is particularly cool since he loves crickets and makes a pretty good show out of catching them (translation: daddies and little boys love it).

No doubt the greatest plus about Luther, however, is that he has already brought many a smile to two small faces and one big face. Larissa shared with me the other day that the big man told her "I have a pet too, momma." In the grand scheme of eternity Luther will not matter much, but the opportunity to love on my boys and bond with them (even in a small way) is irreplacable. Needless to say, if you are looking for pet but limited by space or restrictions, I would most certainly recommend a Leopard Gecko. And be sure to name him after a great figure in church history so that 10 years from now you can answer your child's question that might go something like this "Where did you get a name like Luther?"