Two Animals on a Mission, A Coincidence?

   Oft times I am not so good. Oh, I know that I smile a lot, clean up and go to church, bow my head in quiet meditation, but underneath lurks the real me, at least the "me" that pops up on a too frequent occasion. On my own I can think not so good thoughts, my actions can be less than charitable, and my attitudes can be pretty self centered.

   But on those occasions I find that God does not give up on me in exasperation. He still seems to be right there even when what I deserve is a shunning. It is His nature, thank goodness.

   One of the reasons I like to walk in the mornings is to clear my head, to wake up and look around and see what God might be telling me. I do it even when I don't feel very holy and connected. It is like "here I am God, do something, show me something, give me something". Maybe I figure that if I just show up, He will be obligated to act in my favor.

   Then there is those words in Matthew 7 this morning, from The Message:

“Don’t bargain with God. Be direct. Ask for what you need. This isn’t a cat-and-mouse, hide-and-seek game we’re in. If your child asks for bread, do you trick him with sawdust? If he asks for fish, do you scare him with a live snake on his plate? As bad as you are, you wouldn’t think of such a thing. You’re at least decent to your own children. So don’t you think the God who conceived you in love will be even better?

   I don't always see my actions as a bargain with God, I'll do this and then You do that, but maybe there is some sense of that creeping into why I do it. Regardless, there are times like this morning, when I feel like He was good to me anyway.

   Two things caused me to stop and pause in my walk, but I did not associate them with the verses that I was to read later. I knew I would read in Matthew 7, right where I left off, but how those words would resonate, I did not know.

   Then I read a short blog post on the Jesus Calling devotional for today, talking about divine appointments. I thought, "sometimes divine appointments can be with other people that cross my path, sometimes they can be with inanimate things like a book or a magazine article, or sometimes nature speaks in the quiet".

   Two incidents from my walk came into my conscious thoughts, both from God's creation.

   As I walked, I sensed movement on my right and, looking that way, saw an armadillo coming across the golf green and heading my way.  I stopped and waited to see what he would do. Now these creatures don't see well, but do react to noise, so I just stayed stationary and quiet. He crossed my path about 5 feet or so in front of me without missing a beat, neither looking at me, nor deviating from his route. Head down, he just plodded along until he disappeared into the bushes on my left. I could have almost reached out and touched him as he passed, unaware of my presence.

   Then, as I continued toward home, I glanced down at the end of the pond on #4 and there was this white heron fishing in the shallow water along the far bank. He just glided through the water, walking on those long legs of his, intent on breakfast.

   Two incidents, both without sound, both of which called for a photo moment, and me without my camera, but could they be divine appointments, things put in my path to remind me of God and His caring?

   Someone once said "There are no coincidences", and I believe it.

   God is good, even when I am not so much so.....

   (Even with a photo from another time)