“I don’t know what to do!“ David said. “I’m faced with a moral decision,” stated my husband as he rushed into the bedroom where I was getting ready for work.
Over coffee, we had been joking at how the local community of hummingbirds that have adopted our home are “eating us out of house and home”. They clean out a full bottle of food nearly everyday then proceed to stare at us through the window as if to say, “excuse me, this is unacceptable that my food is getting low. Feed Me”
Turns out this was not the issue that had David concerned. He had been outside working, checking trail cameras when he saw a little fawn limp its away across the field and hide in between two huge round bales of hay.
The fawn had broken its back leg somehow and it was not looking like it was going to heal. In fact, the fawn was starting to show signs of weakness and his mom was not hanging around much.
“What should I do?” He asked. “If he stays there, he is sure to get eaten by a Coyote or some other predator. He is really suffering and I hate to see that. Should I put him out of his misery? That would be the kind thing to do.”
How many times have you found yourself in the same situation as the fawn? You find a piece of yourself is broken and not able to keep up with your surroundings. Knowing you need to find a hiding place before you’re eaten alive. Where do you go to find your safety and protection from the trials of everyday?
You have a choice to make. You can throw yourself to the wolves, or coyotes as in the story above or you can clothe yourself with the Armor of God.
What is the Armor of God? The phrase “Armor of God” is derived from Ephesians 6:11: “ Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.”
(King James Version)
Ephesians chapter 6 mentions six pieces of armor:
Belt of Truth
Breastplate of righteousness
Shoes (peace)
Shield of Faith
Helmet of salvation
Sword of the spirit /word of God
These are the ways and tools to protect and win against those things tempt us to move in the wrong direction.
Getting back to the dilemma we had in front of us, I realized he was not really asking my opinion on what he should do to help the fawn, he was speaking the situation out loud so that he could hear it for himself.
I mention, what would Jesus want us to do in this scenario. David decides the right thing to do is to let nature take its course. Although, we got awful close to playing God and making choices that WE think are the best, David stopped himself and decided, I’m not the one in charge of this situation. (There are legal pieces to this as well.) Yes, it breaks our hearts to see any animal suffering and tears came to my eyes just thinking about it, however we also know that all the pain can not be avoided, yet the best course of action is to involve the one and only person that is larger than ANY issue we will ever have. What seems huge to us is nothing to God.
So next time you’re faced with a decision, throw on your armor!
Blessings,
Karin