Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Sometimes you get a message through a deer......


You may be getting sick of me comparing Anna with Gwen, but alas, it is a mother/grandmothers prerogative!  Anna had her one year check up yesterday and got weighed and measured.  Now we all know that she is a peanut (which has been true of all of Gwen's kids), but this morning Gwen and I were comparing Gwen's stats at one year with Anna's.  Guess what?  They were almost identical.  No wonder that Anna reminds me so much of Gwen.  The top picture of Gwen was taken a couple of days after her 1st birthday.  And the bottom picture is Anna at her 1st birthday party - a day after her birthday.  You might not see much resemblance in these two pictures, but to me....wow. Anna looks a lot like Gwen did.

On to other things.... during the last couple of days I have seen so much "wild life" while driving that it is just silly.  Last week I saw a large herd of deer off in the field next to the road.  Then I saw an injured deer on the side of the road.....just sitting there looking around.  I saw three hawks on a pole this morning on the way to Gwen's.  On the way home this afternoon, I saw a coyote on the shoulder of the road,,,,and it was in a residential area - not a forest preserve.  Then Ken and I decided to go out this evening and we saw a large hawk sitting on a sign.  The capper to all these animal sightings happened at the car wash....yes the car wash.  After the last snow/salt event, Ken decided to get a car wash.  There was a LOOOOONG line, three cars deep.  As we were waiting to get up to the pay area, I saw a flash of a deer just beyond the pay station.  Ken didn't see it.  When it was finally our turn to pay (and then wait some more for our turn) suddenly, a deer was right in front of the car, just beyond the fence of the car wash.  It was leaping around and stayed right in front of us.  The woman in the car next to us actually got out of her car to take a picture of the deer.  Needless to say there were many people in line behind us who were not so happy about that!   All of this is interesting since I live in a very populated area....not out in the country.  I got to thinking that there is most likely a message in all of these sightings.

I thought of Psalm 42:1..... "As the deer pants for the water, so my soul longs after You, my God".
I wonder if the deer at the car wash was after the water!  Each of these different times that I saw the deer, the hawks, the coyote,  it was a reminder that I should be looking to Jesus for all that I need.  Those deer and that coyote might have been looking for water.  Or they could have been looking for food.  The hawks where looking for a snack, that's for sure.  It's very easy to just keep on driving and not even notice what is right outside your window.  And it is very easy to forget who actually provides the food, the water and everything that we need.  I shared that I have been in a bit of a struggle in the last couple of weeks.  I know that I have forgotten to just be "longing for Jesus" instead of looking for answers to unanswerable questions.  Today I heard a song that reminded me to just be "seeking the face of Jesus".  So I guess I have gotten the message.  It is a good thing to just be longing for more of Jesus.  Nothing can be gained by wallowing in the depths of wondering and questioning.  Quite honestly, I don't think that there is any answer to the questions that I was asking that would have satisfied me or made me feel any better.  What does bring comfort and peace and calm to my spirit is just drawing up close to Jesus.  Even when I have to remind my soul to LONG for God!  Sometimes we all have to talk to our soul to do the right thing... ("Bless the Lord, oh my soul").

So tonight I am thankful for seeing the deer, the hawks, the coyote, and more than that, I am thankful for the reminder to just draw up close to Jesus and stop the questions!  I am also thankful for yesterday's wave of mercy that helped me to look around me and see the message that was right in front of me.  It is good to breath out and rest in the presence of Jesus.

Stop.  Look around you.  Don't miss what is happening just outside of your window.  Be still.  Stop questioning. Close your eyes.  Let Jesus draw you up to him.  Be blessed.

Jesus, thank you so much for reminding me that being in your presence is really all that I need.  You are responsible for everything else that I need.   Holy Spirit, help us all to stop and look around us for your message to us.  More than that, help us to quiet our minds and to be still before you.  Thank you  for the reminder that our destiny is also carried on in our children and grandchildren.  Thank you for the deer Jesus!  Amen

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