Campaigning

The other day my brother and I were out getting some photographs. We were just about done, but before going back inside, we spotted these two (though there was a third) deer off in the distance.

You can't see them very well, for they were pretty far in the distance; but we saw them and they saw us. Immediately Tyler and I began to strategize. Prior to this campaign, I would have considered that Tyler and I were pretty reasonable strategists. We've had some practice in military tactics, but this was something else.

The video below demonstrates what happened. My brother and I split up to attempted to flank the deer. If the deer saw one of us, they (ideally) would run toward the other. We figured that the chances were favorable that at least one of us would be able to photograph them up close.

We were wrong. We flanked them, and I closed in, but then they started moving. So I tried to get around them and push them back to Tyler--but he had come up to my side! And the deer were gone. We had no idea where they went. They simply disappeared. We plunged into where we had seen them with our final hopes, but to no avail. They were gone.

The below video demonstrates what we think happened.

So much for military genius, huh. Don't guess I've got a future with the army (which I'm sure is just fine with Mom!) Still, I was astounded by the simple intelligence of these deer. They stayed put when they saw themselves being flanked, then backtracked and somehow escaped unnoticed. They acted upon observation rather than reason, which turned to their benefit.

It is truly amazing, the intelligent mind God built into these deer. By simple cunning they outwitted our attempts to outwit them.  God is such a creative Designer! He gave these beautiful animals such a defensive capacity. He knew they would be hunted, by animals and by men, and therefore engineered instincts of survival within them. No, they don't always succeed. But so far they have managed to evade me! Incredible creatures are deer. One day I'll actually get a good picture of one. But I'm going to have to get smarter!

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and how inscrutable his ways! "For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been His counselor?" "Or who has given a gift to Him that He might be repaid?" For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be glory forever. Amen. (Romans 11:33-36)

Remembering

Well, summer's over and fall is upon us. In fact, fall is already about halfway through! Most of the leaves are down, temperatures are lowering, first flurries are falling . . . this is not my favorite season :) 

Already, though it's only been a month or two, I have forgotten what a green forest looks like, or what a warm day feels like, or what an evening thunderstorm sounds like. Already the experiences of summer fade away into mere memory, which isn't quite the same.

It is so easy to forget that which lies outside of our present experience. What we do not feel we can only remember. How often do we feel this when we go through trials and difficulties!

Things get tough, the road gets rough, and what do we do? Too easily we forget God, the One we most need to remember!

Psalm 105:4-5:

"Seek the LORD and His strength; seek His presence continually! Remember the wondrous works that He has done, His miracles, and the judgments He uttered." 

This is how we are to deal with difficulty: remember God! When problems arise and our strength fails, we must remember Him who's strength never fails. The trouble is that this is more often easier said than done. It's like fall: when we get into tribulation, all our past experience fades into memory. If we do not feel God's presence, we find it difficult to remember Him--and turn to Him!

But the psalm does not end here, in fact, the charge to remember God is not even the focus of the psalm:

"He is the LORD our God; His judgments are in all the earth. He remembers His covenant forever, the word that He commanded, for a thousand generations, the covenant that He made with Abraham, His sworn promise to Isaac . . ." (Psalm 105:7-9).

"For He remembered His holy promise, and Abraham, His servant" (Psalm 105:42).

This psalm is about something beyond the necessity to remember God. It is about God's remembrance of us! He remembers us! That is a glorious truth to cling to when times are tough. A glorious truth indeed!

When things are hard at home, at work, at school, or wherever, remember that God remembers you. Believe that He remembers You. He does!

And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To Him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen. (1 Peter 5:10-11).