Isaiah 43:1-2 ESV
Thoughts on Scripture and Life
A few years ago I graduated from surviving rats in my younger railroad years to surviving farm critters in my retirement years. So far there have been several ‘close encounters of a scary kind.’
Please understand that the encounters not only involve myself, they involve my 18 pound Schnoodle who does bark when he gets anxious.
I’ve met a few of God’s creatures recently.
I didn’t plan it.
I wasn’t looking forward to it.
But, quite unexpectedly I’ve been up close and personal with a few rural wild critters.
My most recent encounter was with a rabid raccoon. Why was that a deal? You have to remember that basically I am a city kid.
I don’t know anything about farm life.
So, when my Schnoodle and I came around a corner of the shop recently and we were faced with a pretty large raccoon, we had no idea what to do. I’d say the coon easily outweighed my 17 pound dog.
I was surprised that the raccoon didn’t run off. Even when I made (what I thought was) a scary noise, the coon didn’t move. She stared at us.
Later I found out that when a coon exhibits strange behavior like that it’s probably because it can have rabies.
Fabulous.
Good to know. Next time I will be the one backing away or running.
I assumed that since raccoons were nocturnal creatures I wouldn’t see any during the day.
I was wrong.
I’ve also encountered a face to face meeting with a hissing possum in broad daylight. I was pretty confused about that one because not only are possums nocturnal, they are supposed to be prone to play acting like they are dead. The things I’ve read about possums didn’t talk about them confronting others by hissing. The possum I encountered did not play dead.
He did not care that I growled back.
After the encounter with the strange raccoon, I chose to forego up close and personal contact with this possum.
Then there was the curious cow. I mistakenly thought cows didn’t like humans or dogs, but I discovered some very large cows are a curious sort. The first cow who stuck her head through the fence totally freaked me out. Why? Because she was really really BIG!
My Schnoodle was surprisingly curious, though. He put his front paws on the fence and placed his nose pretty close to the cows snout and gave her a good sniff.
My ole dog usually barks when he is afraid, but he didn’t bark. He just sniffed and backed away.
I think the very large cow was somewhat amused.
She didn’t stay long though. After the sniffing was done she sauntered off to find more grass to eat.
Thankfully, I’ve not encountered any slimy snakes up close and personal, but I’ve been told there are a lot of snakes down by the pond.
Therefore, I wear my very tall boots and I carry a big stick when I’m walking that way.
I am not a fan of snakes.
Not. A. Fan.
As in, please God keep the snakes away from me.
On another note, the trotting turkey seem to have a habit of congregating in nearby fields. I’ve photographed them and was able to get fairly close to the rafter of turkeys. They didn’t seem to care that I was “in their space”.
Maybe they got the memo that even if I get really close to them I am not a threat. I do not have a hunting license and I have no intention of getting one.
The dancing deer who run through the yard don’t really seem to care that I am there, either.
Of course, they can jump any fence and can run 35-40 miles per hour.
Why would they care about a very small human who they can outrun and out jump?
So, even though I’m way out of my league and way afraid of these creatures, Isaiah 43:1-2 promises us, “But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.”
God has protected me from the coons, the possums, the cows, the snakes, the turkeys, and the deer. I haven’t had to walk through fire…yet, but I do believe God can do anything.
I do believe and I do rely on God’s protection.
And…I’m very grateful for it.
Today’s Spiritual Practice is: gratitude
Be grateful when God protects you from unexpected situations.
In God, Deborah
Comments