Wednesday Wisdom Tip: It's Not What It Seems
“There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.” Proverbs 14:12 (NIV)
Is that bleating?
Yes, bleating, as in a noise coming from a very small animal. What in the world? I have no idea what that is, but I’m late! Trying to put the strange noise out of my mind, I kept heading toward my car. But try as I might, my heart wouldn’t let me ignore the sad sound, no matter how late it was going to make me.
Turning in the opposite direction, I made my way closer to the tiny cry. There, next to our backyard gate, stood the tiniest of fawns. This precious little thing couldn’t have been more than a couple of hours old, as it barely stood on shaking legs. On the other side of the fence stood the object of the baby’s sorrow – his mother. Separated by the fence, they were trapped. He couldn’t get to her and she had no way of getting him out of our backyard.
This wasn’t the first time a little one has been born in our yard. I believe deer spot the cool shade of our woods, maybe notice the water nearby and decide our property is the perfect place to have their little one. But our property is not as it seems. When her baby is born and the deer hops back over the fence, her fawn is trapped, alone and without the care and protection of mother. Our yard may appear safe and peaceful to an adult animal, but to an infant it is anything but.
(This is the first fawn Madi and I found two weeks ago trapped in our backyard.)
How many times I have unknowingly jumped into a situation I deemed safe only to get caught where I should not have been? Entering benign conversations, my speech takes a wrong turn and I find myself gossiping. Bored or stressed, I make my way to my pantry only to indulge in foods that harm rather than help my body. Wanting to guide my child, I speak words meant to bring discernment, but instead bring damage.
In Proverbs 14:12, the Bible tells us, “There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.” (Proverbs 14:12, NIV). Sometimes, we can feel like we’re doing the right thing, like the mother deer, when in fact, we’re heading in a wrong direction. How can we know what is right?
Jesus promised us in John 15:13, “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.” (NIV)
When Jesus left this earth, He sent the Holy Spirit to be our guide. We need Him. We need His guidance to make wise choices and not become trapped by sin that hurts us and damages our relationship with Jesus. The Holy Spirit is with us, available all day long, with the wisdom we need to live the rich and satisfying life Jesus wants for us. Our part is to listen for His direction.
After making a few phone calls to animal experts, I was instructed to pick up the fawn and lift him over the gate to safety. He didn’t struggle as I gently lifted him from the ground and delivered him back to his mother. I am so thankful that in my life, as I listen to the Holy Spirit, He too, lifts me up and helps deliver me out of the traps I get myself in.
Holy Spirit, I invite You today, to guide and instruct me. Help me not simply choose what seems best to me, but teach me to listen for your guidance so I can make wise choices. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Just for the fun of it…here is a video of Madi and I trying to get one of the fawns to go out the gate on his own!
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