Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6
We live in a pretty rural area which has allowed us to have some up close and personal experiences with wildlife. My hubby especially so! There was the time when we heard all kind of noise coming from our grill. When he lifted the cover, he was surprised to see a backyard bandit under there. He had to take the cover off without getting bit in order to make the raccoon leave. That was quite the interesting situation.
I can’t forget the skunk experience either. It was chasing him up the driveway, and that was funny only because he didn’t get sprayed!
What about our wonderful bears? There was a noise outside, so my big, bad hubby opened the back sliding door only to come face-to-face with a bear. I’m not sure who was more startled, but I think the hubby won that little contest. I think it changed how he opened doors from then on! Another bear interaction had to do with us “camping” outside. We had some jaw-popping action going on from that bear; we surrendered with extreme caution…especially since a skunk was on the other side of the tent!
One of the best experiences came when the guys were sitting out in a blind to see what kind of wildlife they could get pictures of. I don’t think the mouse impressed my youngest, but the fawn sure did. It was having all kinds of fun playing and putting on a show for the them. It was also a curious thing that wanted to know what the blind was when it spotted it! They were able to be still and enjoy one of God’s creatures.
I have to remember the birds! We used to have a huge window with a tree right outside it. When the oldest was little, he would stand on the couch and watch the birds that were so close he thought he could touch them. Now we get hummingbirds looking in the windows!
Our animal experiences often represent life experiences. There are some that you have to deal with, some that you need to run from, some that you should use extreme caution with, and some that you can be still and not act…just watching and waiting.
Thankfully, we have the privilege of not relying on our own thoughts and feelings to get discernment on how to handle different situations that come up in our lives. We’re able to turn towards God and get His take on things.
In order to know God’s will, we need to talk to Him and listen. We will learn when it is necessary to go into battle with Him by our side. If we spend time in the Bible, it can become pretty clear when He wants us nowhere near certain situations. We’ll know to simply beg for protection as we’re running away. Through prayer, we’ll be able to rely on Him to let us know when to use extreme caution while He is guiding our steps. Other times, we can sit back and let Him handle things without any action needed from us.
How about you? Are you willing to trust in the Lord with all your heart and not lean on your own understanding?
