Tale of the Lizard's Tail

I’ve been to three funerals this week, so I’ve thought about life… and death.

Once at a Dry Creek funeral, my friend Billy Harper spoke of the death of his beloved elementary teacher,  Amy Greene Pullins.   “You know, it’s just like when you break off a lizard’s tail.  The lizard runs off and you’re left holding a wiggling tail in your hands. It wiggles in your palm then slow and stops.

It’s easy for us to think that dead tail is the real lizard, but the real lizard has run off.”   Bro. Billy pointed to Mrs. Amy’s casket.  “That’s just how it is when a Christian dies.  All we’re looking at in that casket is the lizard’s tail.  The real Mrs. Amy Pullins has run off to a much better place.”

I’ve heard and read lots of descriptions of death for the Christian, but Billy’s simple nature-oriented story best describes it.

Click here to see a video I shot holding a skink’s tail.