Hi, all. Just a thought to help start your weekend.

It seems to be that time of year when the animals are running amuck. Perhaps they sense that the heat of summer may soon ease up, giving way to cooler months. Whatever it is, there is certainly activity in the air in the animal kingdom.

Just a week or two ago, I and the car just ahead of me had to stop on a local road to allow at least a dozen or 15 turkeys to make up their mind which direction they wanted to go. One day this past week, my wife and I experienced the very sudden erratic road-crossing attempts of two separate groups of raccoons. Unfortunately, I must report that at least one of those pretty creatures in each of the two groups failed to make up their minds in time to avoid tragedy.

And then I’ve seen several deer lately, like the ones in my picture here. Momma and baby deer were out for an afternoon stroll. I snapped several photos in which Momma deer was very keenly watching her surroundings, me included, in order to make sure everything was safe for the little one.

The Lord certainly takes care of His creatures. He provides their meals, shelter, and safety. But alas, each animal must make up its own mind about the way it will go. Those turkeys finally gave up the group decision making process, leaving the road in at least two different directions. Those ’coons had no idea which way to run, and this indecision inevitably led to death. Momma deer was ever watchful of all her surroundings, making sure everything was safe.

We are all beloved creatures of the Lord. But in His goodness and grace, He allows us to make our own decisions. Some of those are life-changing. Some of our choices result in splitting from the rest of our group. Some result in safety and beloved protection. But, sadly, some of those choices in life can lead to our destruction. We must always be on guard.

Just as the Psalmist wrote, as a deer pants for the water, so I long for the Lord’s presence. May we, as His little creatures this week, pay very close attention to the paths we travel, the obstacles and dangers that will most often come our way, and the reality that He longs for us to look to Him for guidance and protection when we have no idea which way to go. May we be faithful to follow in His paths this week.

Just a thought. ’Til later.

Rev. Brad Campbell, mastah.pastah@yahoo.com.