Sunday Afternoonn Tea - Deers and Cornfields

The older I get, the more life seems to run smoother when my days are slow and I have time to ponder the important things of life.  Like another cup of coffee in the morning.

However, there are periods of time as I have been going through the last few weeks when everything seems to be either pulling me out of the house for appointments and errands or my days at home are full of a large To Do list... such as when we were getting ready for and putting away after the arrival of the refrigerator.

Friday morning, I had to run errands in the part of town I go which is the farthest away from where I live.  With the high cost of gas this year, I planned numerous errands all for one morning.  All within a couple miles of the UPS Store where I needed to return something to Amazon.

Most were necessary errands but I did stop by my favorite antique mall on the way to the UPS Store, my final stop of the morning.  I was just quickly perusing the aisles to see if they had any vintage Christmas tree ornaments put out by any of the sellers. Last year, they had quite a few and all of them were very inexpensive.

I didn't see any but I did see a complete set of pink Pyrex bowls that were gorgeous.  The four bowl set was also $200.00!  It is one of the rarest colors, so I wasn't surprised and neither was I in the least bit tempted since I would prefer to remain married... at least through the Holidays.

Trying to do one errand after another can be very tiring, especially when I am in town on Friday at noon, so I took the long route home.  The one that takes me past cornfields instead of through the forest.  I have been searching out the colors of Autumn this year as they appear since the unusual weather, including drought in the summer and record breaking rainfall in October, has not made for the best color season.

I found, though, if I look carefully then the beauty pops out every once in awhile and I can see Autumn's glory... just not in my front yard this year.  I wanted to drive the long way home to see if the corn had been harvested.  It is late this year due to all the rain and I kinda' hoped it hadn't been, for I do love the look of dried field corn waiting to be cut.

As I turned onto the county road leading to my house, I could immediately tell that the corn stalks were still tall and sturdy, that beautiful shade of muted maize.  It was so thick that one could not see light in between the rows.   

Which is how it happened.  Did you ever have that feeling that something is just wrong about this picture?  Well, I guess I should not ask that since I have felt that way since the beginning of 2020.  This time I mean up close and personal.

For suddenly a deer had popped out from the cornfield and was running along side my car.  I could have reached out and touched him if the window was down.  I gave a quick prayer of "give me wisdom, God!" and decided the best thing to do was to slow down the car and not hit the brakes.

Not only did I not want any damage to the van but I did not want to kill that beautiful animal.  Even in the quick glimpse, I could tell he was young but with a healthy set of antlers.  My quick prayer worked and miraculously, he passed in front of the still (but slowly) moving van and made it safely to the field across the road.

We both had quite the story to tell when we arrived home.  I prayed for him that he stayed away from cars... and hunters.  I like venison but not when I have looked into the face of the animal.  I know, I could never be a cattle farmer!

Later, when I was thinking about how quickly the deer appeared and bringing that sense of danger with it (for one can be killed in a collision with a large deer), I was thinking how much it is like our world today.  It seems suddenly there was something "not right" with this picture.

I was listening to a favorite prepper on YouTube this weekend and he was saying how he had never believed in conspiracy theories.  He thought there were logical reasons behind everything happening in the world, especially as he is also a pastor and knew there was spiritual implications behind it all.

That is, until the past two years.  He was asking this weekend if it seemed to us (the listeners) that everything going on in the world seems a little too orchestrated?  How could all of the economies be failing?  How could a pandemic close down all the world within weeks?

How could there be a shortage of employees in so many nations?  Most did not receive extra benefits from the government during COVID. Most of all, how could a world wide supply chain crash be going on everywhere.  All at once.  It is just... weird.

Perhaps it is not orchestrated by the powers that be and perhaps it is.  Maybe it really is all coincidence. Perhaps we are collectively spooked by the events, like I was when suddenly there was something beside my car door that should not have been there.

We may never know all the answers this side of Eternity, although I do know what it will eventually lead up to someday.  Pastor David Jeremiah said in a sermon recently, "Future events cast a shadow before them.  We are living in those shadows right now".

He called today's crazy world "being in the shadow of the Tribulation". We don't know if we are years or decades away (although he does believe it is sooner rather than later).

What does that mean to each of us?  We go about our daily business as God desires.  We cook good food, and clean the kitchen counter, and light the scented candle, and peruse antique malls for inexpensive beauty (not pink Pyrex bowls!).

We read lovely books and drink good coffee.  We take the time to brew a pot of tea and enjoy the process involved in putting together a real tea time.  We bake cookies and even when a little more insulin is required, eat a couple with absolutely no guilt.

We are His people who are not caught unaware as to the times He decided we would live in... not us but God Himself!  There is a reason we are here during this time in history, whether we are weak or strong... rich or poor... an introvert or an extrovert... He chose us for this time.

That means that He has given us every good thing to prepare and to prevail.  Setting aside extra canned veggies and beans and rice and chocolate!  Listening to excellent Bible teachers who are teaching people Truth and not tickling their ears as the pillow prophets of old.

The Book of James says He gives wisdom to anyone who asks for it and in this age when, as the Bible predicted, deception is abounding... you can be a person who sees through it all into the Truth the Holy Spirit provides.  Those who know His Word will have that Anchor that is needed in these times.

Simply, we will live our everyday lives as He wanted us to do at any time in history... just with better technology.  You cannot do this, you know.  But He can in you and through you.

As for me, I think I'm going to take the short way home through the forest from now on.  Although there are deer there, I am looking for them in the forest.  Not coming out of cornfields.

Image:  Grandpa's Pumpkins: artist I. Sorenson