As the Deer

One of my most favorite things to do when I go back to Chattanooga to visit my family is to spend some time out on my sister's 40-acre farm. She lives in town, but she owns this beautiful farm about a half-hour away from her house, and I do mean beautiful. It's got rolling hills, two barns, a creek and several fenced-in places for animals. Down through the years, Sis has had cows, horses, goats, chickens ... and she's always said that someday she would have a couple of ostriches. In all the times I've been to my sister's farm, though, I've never once seen any deer. She assures me that she's seen them many times on her land, but I haven't seen even one in all the visits I've made there.

Last Saturday morning, Ollie and I went for a very early walk to beat the heat and because I had a speaking engagement that evening. We took our time and kind of sauntered along, both of us enjoying the coolness of the morning air. I was somewhat surprised at the number of people we passed considering that it was before 6:30 a.m. on a Saturday, but I suppose they were trying to get a workout in as well before the temperature began to climb. For all the people we saw on the first leg of our walk, as we drew closer to home, we found ourselves completely alone on the trail. As we crossed the street by the elementary school ... that's when I saw them ... two deer in the field by the small playground.

Amazingly, Ollie didn't make a sound as I stood transfixed watching the frolicking animals. It was almost as if they were playing a game, running back and forth, starting and stopping, chasing each other. They were playing so hard, in fact, that they would bump into each other, stop and look at one another, and then take off again ... it reminded me of the way Julie and Ollie play together. As the deer moved through the field, Ollie and I moved along the trail ... slowly, so as not to frighten the fast-footed beasts of the field. When we were almost to the wooden bridge that sits above the creek, we stopped and watched as the two deer jumped into the water and began to drink. I'm not sure how long we stood there watching as the creatures lapped up the water and eventually ran into the woods, but as we did, time seemed to stand still for those few moments.

Crossing the bridge to head toward home, I knew that God had a purpose in allowing me and Ollie to cross paths with part of His awesome creation that morning. Psalm 42:1 pulsed in my mind with each step I took ... "As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for You, my God." Just as the deer we had just witnessed quenching their thirst in the water of the creek, God desires that I quench my thirst in Him. And here's the thing ... those deer didn't look for a bunch of other ways to soothe their parched throats ... they went straight to the water where they knew to drink ... and drink deeply until they were filled.

Please help me, Lord, to pant for You as the deer pants for the water ... help me to go straight to the stream of You ... to the only true and living water ... to know that the only place to quench my thirst is in You. As the deer, Lord ... as the deer.