Grumpy the Gator

In Grumpy the Gator, a group of children playing encounter a grumpy alligator. The story teaches children to always keep a safe distance from animals in the wild, and to find an adult if they see an alligator.

Grumpy the Gator

Its Always A Story With The Hendersons

Beeping Along…

That sound! That annoying sound! Again…and again… Yes, I am talking about the smoke alarm beep that seems to follow me wherever I go. Alan and I usually change the smoke alarm batteries twice a year. The time change that moves us forward one hour or back one hour is always a good reminder to change the batteries. Yet, for some strange reason, this time, I decided we should change the batteries ahead of schedule. No problem.

Alan, and our son Mike, gathered the new batteries and a bag to put the old ones into, so as not to confuse the new from the old. Smart thinking.

Daughter-in-love Christine, and grandchildren Rowan and Eden, and I, sat outside on the back porch, while Alan and Mike changed the batteries. All was well until Mike shared that one of the alarms in a hallway wasn’t working properly. Interesting. Usually, when one alarm isn’t working, the others start beeping. Luckily, the green lights were showing all the other alarms. The one that wasn’t working didn’t cause the others to beep.

Alan decided to purchase a new alarm for that hallway. Locating the code on the back of the device, he drove to the local home improvement store and purchased a new alarm. With the new alarm installed, the beeps were gone. I was so happy not to hear those beeps. Although, I am thankful for the alerts if there ever was a fire.

I put the sound of the beep out of mind. A few days later, our local writers group met for the monthly meeting at our church. When we arrived, two nice gentlemen were already in the fellowship hall. They explained that they were there to work on the smoke alarms and assured us that any beeps we heard were just a test.

My first thought, “Oh, my goodness. Can I ever get away from the beeps?” Then, I thanked the men for working on the alarms. They explained how the pastor knew the situation. They would have to return and work underneath the building to correct any unnecessary beeping. Something about wiring, etc.

The writers group began the meeting. All was quiet for a while. I thought how wonderful that no beeps had started. Then…it happened, Our guest speaker began her presentation and… you guessed it. BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! I left the group at the table, went to make sure there was no fire. Everything was fine. Just the beeping that the gentlemen had informed me might happen.

Our dear presenter gave her presentation while the smoke alarms continued to sound. Luckily, the beep was in a closet and not extremely loud.

After the meeting, the group discussed the annoying beep. We were glad to be able to get through our meeting without having to leave the building.

With the church doors locked, several people in the group decided to meet at a local restaurant for lunch. Vehicles were filled with writers, and off we went to the local eatery.

The vehicle I was riding in was filled with laughter and joy. We took a couple of wrong turns, but ended up right where we needed to be. As we scouted for a parking spot, a familiar sound was heard inside the vehicle. A beep, beep, beep. Much lower than the smoke alarm beep, but, still a beep.

We all laughed and asked what was making the sound. Our sweet driver shared that the beeping sound was alerting her that she was running out of gas. More laughter as we recalled the beeps we had heard all morning, and now here was another beep.

I looked for the message God was sending. I love how he sends us messages about the simplest things in life, even beeps. Every time I think about the different beeps I’ve heard lately, I laugh out loud.

I believe God was reminding me to always be alert for His messages. ย Pause, slow down, and rest in Him. Smoke alarms, car alarms, and other alarms give us the opportunity to pause and be aware of our surroundings. I pray I will be ready to listen and follow His guidance.

How about you? Have you changed your smoke alarm batteries? Is God trying to get your attention?

Have a blessed day,

Melissa aka Mimi

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31 Comments
  • Ava Pennington
    Posted at 13:05h, 01 June Reply

    Ugh – smoke alarm beeps can be soooo annoying. I love how you turned an annoyance into a reminder to “always be alert for His messages.”

    • mimionlife
      Posted at 20:49h, 01 June Reply

      Thank you Ava. Yes, that sound can be annoying. Glad all turned out well. Have a blessed week! ๐Ÿ™‚

  • karenruhl
    Posted at 15:20h, 01 June Reply

    Such a great way to turn an everyday disturbance into a blessing from God. Love your adventures, Melissa. <3

    • mimionlife
      Posted at 20:50h, 01 June Reply

      Thank you Karen. Yes, we certainly do have a lot of adventures in the Henderson household. haha! Have a blessed week! ๐Ÿ™‚

  • Jill Weatherholt
    Posted at 15:47h, 01 June Reply

    This was a wonderful post, Melissa. I agree, we always need to remain alert. Thanks for the smiles!

    • mimionlife
      Posted at 20:50h, 01 June Reply

      Thank you Jill. Yes, remain alert. Have a blessed week! ๐Ÿ™‚

  • June Foster
    Posted at 18:27h, 01 June Reply

    Once when we had a house built, we would go in to check on things. Sure enough there was a beep, one loud single beep every 30 seconds or so. To this day, I’m not sure what caused it, but I agree, those beeps are annoying. What a fun post! You’re so blessed to meet with your writer friends. I see mine once a month and drive 30 miles to meet with them!

    • mimionlife
      Posted at 20:51h, 01 June Reply

      Those beeps can be so annoying. I am a member of two writers groups and I love how we can meet in person and via zoom. ๐Ÿ™‚ Have a blessed week!

  • Jessica Brodie
    Posted at 18:58h, 01 June Reply

    I’ve had this experience too!! So funny. Thanks for your cute stories and always insightful themes, Melissa! I so appreciate you!

    • mimionlife
      Posted at 20:52h, 01 June Reply

      Thank you Jessica. Smoke alarms can often cause trouble. haha! Have a blessed week! ๐Ÿ™‚

  • Karen Jurgens Harrison
    Posted at 06:07h, 02 June Reply

    Great story, Mimi. I love how you connected the beeps to God getting our attention. I hope to always be listening when He sends out alerts! Have a blessed week, dear friend. xoxo

    • mimionlife
      Posted at 11:27h, 02 June Reply

      Thank you Karen. I believe God sends us messages in unique ways, even smoke alarms. Have a blessed week! ๐Ÿ™‚

  • Nancy E. Head
    Posted at 09:43h, 02 June Reply

    God wants us to watch for His working. You have a blessed week too!

    • mimionlife
      Posted at 11:28h, 02 June Reply

      Amen. I pray we are alert for His messages. Have a blessed week! ๐Ÿ™‚

  • Yvonne Morgan
    Posted at 23:24h, 02 June Reply

    I am not sure I could find anything good about the beeping to write about but I am glad you did. We need to give thanks in everything and you have shown us how to do it even it hard situations. Thanks for sharing Melissa

    • mimionlife
      Posted at 23:34h, 02 June Reply

      Thank you Yvonne. You are so kind. I try to find ways to give thanks in every situation. Have a blessed week! ๐Ÿ™‚

  • Gail Johnson
    Posted at 23:57h, 02 June Reply

    Great reminder, Melissa. If only we could be as quick to hear as smoke alarms are quick to beep. Lord, help me. ๐Ÿ˜„

    • mimionlife
      Posted at 00:00h, 03 June Reply

      That’s a great point Gail. Those smoke alarms seem to beep even when there is no smoke. Low battery alert. Spider web alert. Dust alert. Beep. Beep. hahahahah! Have a blessed week! ๐Ÿ™‚

      • Gail Johnson
        Posted at 00:03h, 03 June Reply

        LOL! So true, my friend. I’ll add “don’t look at me” alert. ๐Ÿคฃ Have a blessed week, sweet friend! ๐Ÿ’ž

  • Melinda Viergever Inman
    Posted at 06:05h, 03 June Reply

    Always be alert for the โ€œBeep. Beep. Beepโ€ of the Lord trying to gently get our attention. The still, small voice of conscience and/or the Lordโ€™s quiet and gentle voice of conviction or admonishment or affirmation should be a โ€œbeepโ€ weโ€™re always alert to and ready to react as the Savior leads.

    • mimionlife
      Posted at 11:52h, 03 June Reply

      Amen. I always say the Lord taps me on the shoulder a few times, then, hits me in the head. I pray we all will be alert for Him. Have a blessed day! ๐Ÿ™‚

  • buierocks2002
    Posted at 11:11h, 04 June Reply

    love your blog post Melissa!

    • mimionlife
      Posted at 12:13h, 04 June Reply

      Thank you Diane. Hope you are well. Have a blessed weekend! ๐Ÿ™‚

  • Diana Derringer
    Posted at 00:30h, 08 June Reply

    Great reminder to always remain “ready to listen and follow His guidance.”

    • mimionlife
      Posted at 11:49h, 08 June Reply

      Thank you Diana. Yes, I pray we all will be ready to listen and follow Him. Have a blessed week! ๐Ÿ™‚

  • Jeanne Takenaka
    Posted at 17:31h, 08 June Reply

    I love the message you took from all those beeps, Melissa. I have smoke alarm beep stories I could share . . . but I’ll suffice it to say I love how you look for God’s messages in the everyday happenings of your life. Thank you for the reminder to look for the ways God’s alerting me to His presence and His messages each day.

    • mimionlife
      Posted at 22:04h, 08 June Reply

      Thank you Jeanne. I love how God shows us ways to remember His love. Have a blessed week! ๐Ÿ™‚

  • dscales24
    Posted at 13:04h, 16 June Reply

    Melissa, you wrote, “I pray I will be ready to listen and follow His guidance.” That is my daily prayer too. Thanks for the good reminder.

    • mimionlife
      Posted at 13:05h, 16 June Reply

      Thank you for reading and commenting. Have a blessed day! ๐Ÿ™‚

  • Joanne Viola
    Posted at 12:15h, 22 June Reply

    We constantly need reminders to stay on track. “I pray I will be ready to listen and follow His guidance.” Joining you in this prayer!

    • mimionlife
      Posted at 12:23h, 22 June Reply

      Amen. Thank you for reading and commenting. Have a blessed day! ๐Ÿ™‚

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