Original articles by Melinda Clements
Take A Lesson
I left the house early to take the dogs hunting and get in a good walk. Toting a backpack with a .410 pistol, my Bible, a pair of binoculars and a couple of bottles of water I headed for a shallow arroyo about two miles from my house. It had been running water since our recent rains and was a good place to sit in the shade and do my daily devotional and the dogs could get in the water when they got too hot. Naturally, I wore tall hiking boots and carried a walking stick just in case I ran on to a snake.
When I got to the arroyo I sat down about a fifty yards away on a rock and opened my book. The dogs had cased the area and were digging in a rat hole up wind from where I sat. There was just enough breeze from the southwest to cool the air and I found this was certainly a great place to have a morning visit with the good Lord. I do alot of talking, he does alot of listening and it certainly helps keep me on an even keel.
When I'm out like that my ears are always on fine tune because I've learned to hear snakes crawling, dove cooing, and the bobwhite's chatter. Despite reading, my ears are always listening and it has become second nature.
Suddenly I looked up and about twenty or thirty yards in front of me stood a full grown male coyote. But he wasn't looking at me he was watching the dogs. I don't know if he had seen me or not. Probably not or he would not have been standing there. He was more curious about the dogs.
The coyote watched the dogs and his curiosity kept him creeping closer to see what was going on. As I watched him I thought how wonderful God is and how his creatures teach us about life. The coyote proceeded forward with extreme caution, testing the wind, yet curious about this particular day's events. He had nothing to fear from me or the dogs and yet he took one step at a time to make sure things were ok. He was merely taking the day as it unfolded before. Not so unlike you and I, he was moving through the day with a certain amount of caution and yet focused on events as they developed.
Neither the coyote nor you and I have alot of control over how things come about. We only know to do what we know to do and focus on taking things in stride. Some days fall into place and roll along quiet smoothly while other days are chaotic from beginning to end. And yet, knowing God is with us handling our needs and guiding our steps, channeling our directions we curiously and or cautiously take one day at a time.
When the dogs finally caught whiff of the intruder they stopped digging and looked up. The coyote suddenly realized he had been discovered and loped away. The dogs gave a short, half hearted chase and came back to the water to get a drink.
I'm reminded of the scripture in Job 5:8-27, "He (God) performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted....he wounds but he also binds up; he injures, but his hands also heal." Read all the verses to grasp the full meaning.
We can all take a lesson from God's creatures if we will only take a minute to observe. "Examine all this for it is true. Hear it and apply it to yourself." (Job 5:27).
Be Blessed This Day!
Melinda Clements
