Deer!

There must be something in my family genes that makes me constantly search the horizons and the fields . . . for deer. There's just something about them . . . When I was younger, my grandfather liked to keep an eye open for deer in the fields of our family farm in Michigan. So did my dad. And so did I.

 

These days, I live in Wisconsin. We have just as many deer here in our back yard sometimes as we did back on the farm in Michigan. When I am home I find myself looking out the kitchen window, searching the woods behind our house for the slightest hint of movement - the flash of a white tail in the dark woods.

 

Come springtime, there is nothing more enjoyable than watching newly born fawns following their mothers through the tall, dewy grass - on their way to some unknown destination.

 

There's just something about those four-legged creatures. I always enjoy watching them walk slowly across just about any landscape situation you can think of . . . except when they peacefully step into the path of my HEADLIGHTS!

 

A few days ago as I was heading to work, I found myself getting a bit hungry so I reached over for my lunch bag which was sitting on the passenger seat. I groped through the bag with my right hand, keeping my eyes on the road, and managed to find a granola bar. I only looked away for a second but just when I grabbed my snack a deer suddenly stepped into view. Right . . . in front . . . of my car!!

 

I swerved hard to the left, my front tires complaining at the sudden input from the steering wheel. I JUST missed the deers rear end. I was grateful that God had gifted me with at least SOME defensive driving ability! However, I found myself wishing God would have blessed His deer, ALL deer, with a bit more brains.

 

Have you ever had an event suddenly occur in your life that you weren't really ready for? There was no way I was prepared for that deer stepping on to the road when it did. Has anything like that ever happened to you?

 

Maybe it's a phone call in the middle of the night from one of your children. Somethings wrong. Or maybe it's a call from your mom or dad to tell you about an illness . . . or worse.

 

How do we prepare ourselves for something like that? There's no way! Unless God gifted us with an amazing ability to cope, most of us would find these "sudden appearance" events to be quite challenging.

 

Last night I was talking with a small group of teens. I asked them if any of them had ever had an experience where they were suddenly blindsided by some major news. One kid spoke up about when he first heard that his dad had cancer . . . right after his grandfather had just died . . . from cancer.

These things happen so quickly. Just like the deer suddenly appearing in my headlights, these life-changing events can happen to anyone, at any time.

Here's a hypothetical question for you. What if you knew ahead of time that these events were about to happen. Would you be better prepared? We might say "yes" but I'm not so sure.

One of the tires on my car is currently making a really nasty vibrating noise. I should get it replaced, yet I procrastinate. I wait. My tire could explode at any time, possibly resulting in an accident. Perhaps even a fatal one. Yet I choose to wait. Why? Honestly? I think it's because I'm lazy. And not too smart.

It's the same way when it comes to receiving Jesus into our hearts. We tend to wait and wait and wait. Often it's a MAJOR event in our lives that forces to think about our own mortality. A deer suddenly appearing in the headlights, a grandfather dying, Someone dying on a cross . . . for you.

If someone told me that my tire was going to blow tomorrow morning on my way to work, would I change it tonight? Possibly. But probably not. Why? Because how would THEY know? Who are they? Why are we so reluctant to make those decisions that could save our lives? I think it's because we just don't think that anything would happen. We don't think, period. WE ARE the deer in the headlights at the same time we are the driver of the car!

So, if we are both the driver of the car AND the deer in the headlights does that mean we are going to be killing ourselves unless one of us makes a decision to act? Yes. Yes it does, my friends.

Have YOU made a decision for Christ yet?

"And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left." - Isaiah 30:21

Walk in it! Guarantee your place in His Kingdom by making a decision for Christ today. You will be glad you did.