Thursday, October 21, 2010

En-deer-ing


Psalm 42:1-2 As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, the living God. When can I go and meet my God?

Our house is surrounded by a forest, so it is not unusual to observe the occasional deer traipsing through our yard. I particularly treasured a moment this summer when a doe led her frisky fawn up the trail in front of our house. I took great care to stand very still as they passed by, not wishing to startle them into flight that would prematurely curtail my enjoyment of this scene. After all, since I didn't have my camera handy, I had to rely solely on my mind's eye to capture the moment. Fortunately, that wasn't the case this past Saturday.

Danny and I were watching college football that afternoon when a doe ambled into view. We watched quietly from our living room window as she proceeded to nonchalantly lick birdseed from the ground; I never knew deer liked birdseed. We chuckled as she, more than once, arched her neck toward the feeder and thrust her tongue in the aperture to procure more food. After several minutes of this, she calmly turned away and strolled leisurely toward a copious patch of English ivy where she promptly laid down to rest. Dissatisfied with the quality of the photos he had snapped through the window, Danny decided to risk a venture outside to see if he could manage some better shots. Moving slowly and deliberately so as not to alarm the doe, he crept as close as he dared and, this time, nailed some phenomenal photos. The one at the top of this blog is one of the best!

Danny was amazed at the doe's indifference toward his presence. Although not tame by any means, it was obvious to us that this deer was accustomed to humans, roaming the wooded neighborhoods as she did. She had never experienced a reason to be wary, cautious, or fearful of people. Luckily for her, the only shots she would ever encounter would be fired from a camera.

After resting for about an hour, the doe rose on her slender, elegant legs and sauntered down the forest slope toward the creek which runs through our neighborhood. The presence of this reliable water source sustains mammals and birds in abundance. Without it, they would be forced to live elsewhere and we would be deprived of the marvelous creatures that attest to the beauty and wonder of God's creation. He is present in it all and we can meet Him there any time we choose.




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