For years I have enjoyed seeing the deer in our yard. They are beautiful and appear so sweet….
~until they aren’t sweet anymore~
I have begun a love/hate relationship with my friendly deer this summer. I continue to enjoy seeing them, however I feel a bit irritated each time their sweet eyes peer at me as I drive down my driveway….because they are eating ALL my pretty plants. I’m disgruntled with their behavior and a bit annoyed with my feelings as well…after all they are only behaving by instinct, eating anything that tastes good to them. Sigh.
I have accepted my yard’s fate until yesterday…I let the dogs out and discovered the deer have started eating the one pretty plant that has not been touched as of yet…now stripped of half it’s blooms.
I immediately thought “why can’t they weed my beds instead of eating all the pretty things?”
like these weeds?
As I was pulling weeds I thought of how God must view his people in the same way I view the deer in my yard…we choose the things that “taste” good giving little thought to whose yard we may be messing up. As I thought about my sins I realized God does not view me in the same way I view my deer (seeing their beauty yet disgruntled with their behavior). We are made in God’s image so He does view us as His beautiful creations, yet He is not disgruntled with our behavior… complaining to His angels about us. Obviously He is not surprised by our behavior and does not ask himself “why can’t they just do what I want?” He knows us, has great mercy for us…sending His son to make a way for us past our sin.
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.” Ephesians 2:8
“You, Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call you.” Psalm 86:5
In light of all my ponderings on the stinkin’ deer eating my plants, I am making a conscious effort to alter my thoughts when I see them. Instead of being mad, why don’t I dwell upon my own sin of “eating all the pretty things”? I’m hoping that I will feel a bit merciful for them as God is merciful to me as I call out to Him.
The deer however are being put on restriction! 😂I am going to spray my pretty plants with hinder and see if they will eat all the other things that may taste as good but are not so pretty. I’ll keep you posted…maybe I’ll research what I can spray on my weeds so they will eat them instead? Surely someone out there has invented that!!
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