It’s chilly here and there is snow on the ground. A couple of weeks ago, I went to the supply store for sunflower seeds, mindful of my seasonal duty to the local feathered friends. Every year, about this time, I begin the daily chore of loading up my bird feeder. It is a small price to pay to see the cardinals, blue jays, chickadees, and other birds that visit me all winter. The sight of them cheers me. This year I bought a double sided suet feeder and the woodpeckers really love it.
Jim usually orders dried corn for the deer. Years ago, when we first met, he was a hunter and fisherman. He still fishes occasionally but since our daughter was born, he hasn’t had the desire to hunt. Frankly I’m grateful. I don’t give anyone a lecture who hunts but I love deer and I will tell you why.
Years ago I went through a transition of sorts. If you have read my book, I needed a bit of help to get through a difficult period. In my darkest moments, I would go outside and there would be a deer in my back yard. Sometimes it was a stag, other times it was a doe or even a yearling.
After multiple sightings, I started to think this was a sign of the presence of God. How else could I explain that there was a deer every time I felt darkness? Often times the animal would look straight at me. I wasn’t afraid; I felt it was there for me, reassuring that all would be fine.
Over a period now of twenty years, I still consider deer to be a sign of the divine. Just a few days ago I marked the two year passing of a close friend. I remember the day he left this world like it was yesterday. He had been very sick and the C word was making its way with his liver.
I arrived home late one afternoon, in early December, and three deer were eating the leftover remnants of my summer garden. As I drove up the driveway, they were only a few yards away from me. Out loud I said, Something’s up. And they didn’t leave when they saw me. They merely stopped eating for a second, looked at me, then went back to their dinner.
A matter of one hour later and I get a bug in my ear and try to call my friend. I was pretty sure he was in the hospital. The call went straight to voice mail. The next morning I received the news. He had passed about two hours after I saw the three deer.
I cried a bit at the memorial when I saw pictures of my friend, flashed on a screen in health and sickness. In some of the photos, he was full of life. As the montage proceeded, you could see the toll the disease had taken. It was evident. I had not realized how fast it had happened.
Forward fast to a couple of months ago and I have another worrisome thought going and I swear this time I asked God to send me a deer sign. I drove up the back road to my mom’s house, often a treasure trove of deer reassurance, and nothing. I breathed a big sigh and thought ok, I’m on my own with this one.
Eventually, I came to terms with my worry having finally figured out that it was ludicrous (yes, I actually used that word in my head) and I should let it go. Finally, two days later I go to see my granddaughter and two minutes before her house, there is a small herd of deer (not one, but probably 8 or so), on the road, literally looking at me through my car windshield, only a few feet away.
I half expected them to come up to me and say something like, You are nuts, You worry too much. But they seemed overly concerned with how to get back into the field as there was a long, large fence (this is protecting a cemetery) and obviously this was their priority.
As the herd walked past me, I thought of God and how He always delivers. He never lets me down. He is there for me.
Thank you to unsplash for their beautiful photography.
An inspiring post, Joanne and a great Advent read.
Thank you Cindy. Wishing you a warm and wonderful holiday season.
How awesome! I find dimes in those dark times. The dimes are comforting and let me know things will work out (they always do just sometimes not how we want them to!). I have always given credit to my uncle, who passed away in 1996!
Happy holidays to you and your family!
I have another friend who finds pennies. I love that. Nice to meet you.
Joanne, it’s Cathy…I don’t know what happened there, LOL!
I don’t see anything from you….try again?
Hello, enjoyed your blog this morning. Oh, and the winter forest picture on your header is beautiful…it feels chilly and crisp. I always love hearing about your deer sightings. You draw such comfort from such beautiful animals. Thanks for sharing. D
Thank you so much! I love unsplash.com. They have beautiful pictures.
God speaks to me through birds. I’m about to fill my feeder as well. Thanks for the reminder that God is always speaking through His creation.
Ah, I love this. He does speak through his creation. Thank you.
How lovely to have these deer expressing the Divine to you. I think birds are the messengers in my garden. Maybe the bees, too, with their gentle, calming buzz.
I love seeing them. I know what you mean about the birds. I think they are messengers too.
A sweet story, Joanne. Yes, always look for those signs from above. My brother sees them all the time at his home in New Jersey. They represent many different things symbolically, but one is to be more gentle on oneself, to soften the inner self-critical voice…haha, I should be seeing a lot of them 😉 – Maybe that was a message for me, through your blog! God really is funny. Enjoy your birds, the snow, the peace of winter, the calm of the sleepy season. Be renewed, healthy, and have a very Merry Christmas, my friend. ♥