Growing Alligators

My son got a little toy for his birthday. An alligator. You put it in the water and it grows. Before his bath I got my camera ready to see his reaction when we put it in the water. He's excited, I'm excited, then I drop it in! ...nothing happened.

I was disappointed as you can imagine so sent my husband to go look at the box. It said you need to leave it in the water for at least 3 days. My thinking was it was like a sponge and would grow instantaneous, instead, it grows very slowly, taking in the water little by little. We filled a pan with water and it has been sitting on the counter for a week now.

Sure enough, it has gotten bigger, but I've been amazed how I haven't really been able to tell. The only way I can tell is when I compare it to something that hasn't changed size, and when next to each other, the change is obvious. My son has no interest and when we show him that it is bigger, it is like it was that big all along. This got me thinking and reminded me of a scripture that was shared at a recent devotional I heard.

Yea, and there shall be many which shall say: Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die; and it shall be well with us. And there shall also be many which shall say: Eat, drink, and be merry; nevertheless, fear God—he will justify in committing a little sin; yea, lie a little, take the advantage of one because of his words, dig a pit for thy neighbor; there is no harm in this; and do all these things, for tomorrow we die; and if it so be that we are guilty, God will beat us with a few stripes, and at last we shall be saved in the kingdom of God. Yea, and there shall be many which shall teach after this manner, false and vain and foolish doctrines... - 2 Nephi 28:7-9

I see every day that this is true. So many in the world believe life is about having fun, so party it up. They have no concern for life after death, and if they do, their belief is God is loving and he will forgive us. He knows we were just trying to have fun and didn't know any better. But we are told these are false, and vain, and foolish thoughts.

How do people come up with these thoughts? It is Satan, getting into the hearts of men. But people will not believe they are being controlled by Satan. They are making their own choices. If someone wants to try drugs or have a drink, they will. They are in control, they are just having fun, "all is well." But then something happens without them knowing it. They become addicted and it has a grasp on them. This is the way Satan works. Little by little, pulling you carefully down to hell and because the change is so subtle it is unnoticeable. We are warned in the scriptures of this very thing-

For behold, at that day shall he rage in the hearts of the children of men, and stir them up to anger against that which is good. And others will he pacify, and lull them away into carnal security, that they will say: All is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well—and thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefullydown to hell. And behold, others he flattereth away, and telleth them there is no hell; and he saith unto them: I am no devil, for there is none—and thus he whispereth in their ears, until he grasps them with his awful chains, from whence there is no deliverance. Yea, they are grasped with death, and hell; and death, and hell, and the devil, and all that have been seized therewith must stand before the throne of God, and be judged according totheir works, from whence they must go into the place prepared for them, even a lake of fire and brimstone, which is endless torment. -2 Nephi 28: 20-23

Can you see the comparison with our little toy alligator? A small, harmless little thing that grows into a large monster that you can no longer control, and it did it all without you noticing. We need to watch out for those absorbing alligators in our lives.