Temporary Blindness

     I woke up several times during the night and heard raindrops on my roof. After getting up this morning, I was surprised to look out the window and see that the skies were completely clear! After getting dressed I decided to go out and sit on my back deck, for my morning prayer. As I opened the door I was greeted by a surreal view! It was as if everything has disappeared. My usual view, overlooking a canyon, was totally obscured by a thick fog. I could only see for a few yards. A flock of birds flying over the canyon had to make an abrupt maneuver, as they were about to fly directly into my house.

     Occasionally we encounter the same thick fog while driving. It can appear very quickly. You are driving 65mph down the road at night time when suddenly your visibility goes down to almost zero. You grip the steering wheel and you brake hard, hoping you can slow down before you run into something. It’s as if you were temporarily blinded! You then creep along cautiously at a snail’s pace straining your eyes to see the road or the car in front of you.

     In our spiritual lives we normally get directions from various sources, including the Holy Spirit, the Bible, preachers, and teachers. We seek God’s direction and guidance for decisions we make. We also seek direction from God during times of conflict. Events can occur in an instant that totally overwhelm us. All it takes is a phone call, a doctor’s report, or a text message. Our life can be turned upside down and we don’t know where to turn. We pray and we sometimes don’t get an answer. It’s as if we have run into the fog and we don’t know which way to turn.

     So what do we do when we are overcome by this “spiritual blindness”? The solution is very similar to our “fog” experience. You get a firm grip on God and you don’t let go. Keep up your daily prayer time, even if you feel that your prayers are bouncing off the ceiling. Don’t allow anything to stop you from praying. You may need to stop some of the non-important things you are doing and focus on reestablishing your communications with God. Move slowly and cautiously. Give God an opportunity to speak to you. Also, make sure that there is not anything in your life that would keep God from talking to you. I John 2:11 tells us that “whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and… does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him”. I Peter 3:7 instructs us men to: “give honour unto the wife… that your prayers be not hindered”. You will usually get your answer in a few days, although sometimes it takes longer. God does not always give us an answer to every question or request we have for him. If after fervently seeking God, you do not get an answer; then proceed cautiously with your gut feeling.

     Just remember, when you are driving down life’s highways and are blinded by the “spiritual fog”, strive to stay on the path. Soon the fog will lift and you will again be able to see the path clearly!

Caring for the Sick

     Having been sick for a week after Christmas, I missed my daily hikes in the woods. Sitting around the house I had a lot of time for thinking and meditation. I started thinking about the animals in the woods: What do they do when they are sick? Who takes care of them when they are sick or injured? Who insures that they have adequate food? I recently saw a coyote walking down the trail on three legs, after apparently injuring his foot. I wonder if he recovered sufficiently to hunt again. I saw a buck dear with most of his vision blocked by some sort of rope and cloth caught in his horns. I wonder if he was able to free himself before being caught by some predator. While working in my back yard I recently head a fawn bleating. I walked to the edge of my deck, overlooking the woods, and watched for a few minutes. A young deer came tearing across an opening with a coyote in hot pursuit, not more than 20 yards behind him. I could hear them crashing through the brush for several minutes. I wonder if the fawn survived the attack.



     There are many animal rescue organizations that help rehabilitate injured animals that are captured, but what about the rest of injured animals in the woods? I decided to check the Bible to see what God has to say about caring for animals and nature.
     I was surprised at the number of scriptures that talk about nature. Evidently God really cares for the things of nature. Matthew talks about two sparrows being sold for a farthing, or ¼ a penny, but mentions that not one of them shall fall to the ground without God’s knowledge or consent. (Matt 10:29). Matthew also challenges us to: “behold the fowls of the air, who don’t sow, reap, or gather into barns; yet our heavenly Father feeds them (Matt 6:26).

Matthew also tells us to consider the lilies of the field, how: “they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: and yet I say unto you that even Solomon is all his glory was not arrayed like one of these”.

       It was reassuring to see multiple scriptures telling us of our heavenly Father’s knowledge and concern for nature. What was really exciting, was to see the comparisons in several of the scriptures, about how much more God is knowledgeable and caring of us. Matthew 6:30 says: “if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you”. Luke talks about God being aware of every sparrow falling to the ground and then tells us: “but even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows”.
     So the next time you are sick or lonely, just remember, God is watching over you and is just as near as a whispered prayer!

How To Eat A Pecan

     Have you ever wondered how a little squirrel can crack open a tough pecan or hickory nut shell? During my college years I inherited a “pet” squirrel and spent many hours observing his mischievous actions. The squirrel could run around my body so fast that I could not catch him. He loved to crawl up the sleeve of my sweater and go to sleep there. He loved to taste everything with his sharp teeth. I have observed him go up to an aluminum frame of the window and take a “bite” out of the frame! Until I had the pet squirrel I assumed that squirrels just put a nut in their mouth and cracked it; not so! Observing my pet I learned that they hold a nut and scratch on it with their teeth for 20 – 30 seconds, until they scratch a small hole in the nut. Then they chip away at the hole until it’s big enough for them to get to the meat.

     Some of our challenges in life are like the squirrel trying to eat the pecan. These challenges are not overcome in a single day or with a single prayer. It takes some consistent work and patience to overcome these types of challenges. The Bible says that some things come only by fasting and praying. I had a big challenge one time and prayed about it. God spoke to me and told me that he was going to take care of the problem. I assumed that it would be over in a couple of weeks; not so. God answered my prayer in a great way, although it was over a year before he answered. God’s time is usually quite different from what we think it should be, but he always knows what’s best for us; so when the big challenges come, just keep on praying and watch God move the mountains for you!

An Earth Quake in Texas

    At the first sign of light this morning I walked out in the woods behind our house, and quietly climbed up in the old tree house. Our tree house is high up in an Oak tree that is leaning over a small creek. It was a beautiful morning. The wind was absolutely calm and everything was quite. I was straining my ears and eyes listening and looking for any wildlife moving in the woods. All of a sudden I felt a slight tremor in the tree. I figured that it was the wind starting to blow. Then I felt a much strong shaking of the tree. I knew someone must be climbing up the tree to join me, but looked over the edge and saw no one. I had never experienced an earth quake in Central Texas, but figured that this must be the first one. Then I felt the shaking again, and saw the source of the shaking. The tree I was in had a very long limb stretching over the creek. The squirrels used the limb as a freeway for crossing over the creek without having to swim. A small squirrel had jumped on the very end of the limb, causing the whole tree to shake! Each step he took caused the entire tree to shake again. I was awed that such a small lightweight creature could shake a huge tree! The squirrel continued his travel passing within inches of my feet with only a passing glance at me.

    Sitting in the tree, while trying to recover from the “earth quake”, I started thinking about how such a very small squirrel could cause the huge Oak tree to shake. This reminded me of what a tremendous impact we as Christians can make in our world, when we have God on our side! Paul and Silas actually prayed down an earth quake” after being put in jail! In Luke 1:37 we read: “with God nothing shall be impossible”. James 5:17 tells us that “Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months”! Dream big and pray and you may be surprised to see what happens!