The Skunk
In our garden I’ve been seeing evidence of varmints, vermin and pests for quite a while. In late spring/early summer we saw little holes in nearly every planting bed we have. Research led us to believe we were seeing signs of a skunk digging to find grubs. (Grubs are the chubby white larvae of those big green flying Japanese beetles.) Skunks LOVE grubs.
At first I was glad that skunks were eating the grubs, since grubs eat the roots of grass and plants, many times causing them to die. Plus, grubs are really ugly. So I reasoned that as long as we could move wide-away if we came upon a skunk, things would be fine. But when the skunk started digging up my vegetable garden I got irritated. And when the skunk ate my first ripe tomato the night before I was going to harvest and eat it myself, I decided then and there something needed to be done to rid our gardens of skunks! When he ate my second nearly-ripe tomato, that was it! The skunk had to go!
So Keith set a trap with a small dish of cat food in it as bait. The first night we just knew we’d catch the skunk and would take him to a wilderness area to be released. In eager anticipation Keith got up the next morning and found…a big ol’ possum. Phooey! It seems possums like cat food, too. We’ve peacefully coexisted with possums for a long time, so Keith opened the trap and let him go.
That night Keith set the trap a second time and awoke early the next morning, prepared to take our resident skunk to his new home. As he approached the trap he found…a neighborhood cat! Dang! We’d need to do this again! So the following night, as before, he set the trap, believing full well the skunk would be in there soon enough. But all he caught was another cat. Sheesh!
We knew the skunk was still around because more and more holes were being dug and our neighbor’s dog was barking each night around 2-2:30. So Keith waited a few more days before setting the trap again. This time he decided to set it out a bit later than before.
The next morning as he was leaving for work he realized he’d forgotten to check the trap. He was short on time, but knew he needed to take a look – just in case. So he went to the veggie garden to see what was there. And there in his trap was a nice little skunk – probably a teenager!
Nervously he picked up the cage-trap, covered it with a blanket, put it in his van and headed out. He arrived at his chosen wilderness area, set the trap down and opened the door to set the skunk free. The little guy headed out, but stepped on the plate that snapped the door shut again with a clang! Nervously, Keith approached the cage a second time and opened the door. Again, the skunk began his exit only to once again step on the plate that snapped the door shut! Oh dear. He didn’t seem very happy!
Keith, realizing he needed to get to work, approached the cage again, but this time opened it and tipped it so the skunk HAD to get out! That did NOT make the skunk happy at all! As he exited the trap he lifted his tail and let loose with the infamous spray that lets everyone in a square mile know a skunk has been there! Keith dodged most of the odiferous stream coming from the skunk but ended up with a couple of drops on his shirt and hands. Pleased with himself, the skunk quickly waddled away, leaving Keith in the fumes.
Mission accomplished Keith grabbed the trap, put it back in his van and headed for the office. Once there, he went straight to the restroom to wash the intense smell from his hands – unsuccessfully. As people arrived at work they gasped and exclaimed, “What happened!? What is that horrible smell?”
It took most of the day for the pungent odor to filter out of the office once Keith left. He came home, threw his shirt into the trash and washed himself with the proven skunk-odor-eliminator: a mixture of hydrogen peroxide, baking soda and a touch of liquid hand soap. Finally he could get to work and do what he was being paid to do!
A few days later we saw evidence that there was another skunk feasting in our garden. But he moved on without our having to get involved. Guess he didn’t want to put up a stink!
All during this time I was more than busy with many areas of responsibility at church, preparing to lead music at two camps and all the usual garden, home and family chores. Unfortunately, I’ve found that when I’m under a lot of stress I often don’t handle it well, even though the Lord has proven that He’s at my side wanting to help me – if I’ll let Him. I don’t intend to get anxious or freak out, but little by little as I allow one thought after another to stay in my mind, like “There’s so much to do and it’s all on MY shoulders”, I end up there: anxious and freaked out. I’ve learned that kind of thinking isn’t productive and even makes things worse. It’s what I call “stinkin’ thinkin’” and when I fall back into those old thought patterns I need to get rid of them. I don’t want to coexist with a varmint that can make everything and everyone around me steer clear for fear of noxious spray!
How do I get rid of those thoughts? I first have to see the evidence that they’re there, seeing the little skunk holes that are being dug into the peace I have in the Lord. Once I recognize them I don’t try to handle them on my own, I go to the Lord in repentance and confession, asking Him to help me set the right traps. I open His word to transform and renew my mind and focus my thoughts on His truth. I take more time to pray through the details of the work to be done, asking Him to help me remember He’s in control – not me. And I go to trusted friends and ask them to pray with me and hold me accountable.
I love Isaiah 40:25-31.
“‘To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal’ says the Holy One. Lift your eyes and look to the heavens; Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing. Why do you say, O Jacob, and complain, O Israel, ‘My way is hidden from the Lord; my cause is disregarded by my God?’ Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”
My Lord, everlasting God, Creator of the ends of the earth: thank you for seeing and knowing all of these things about me, but loving me in spite of my stinkin’ thinkin’. I ask you again, help me get rid of those smelly thoughts that have found a stronghold in my mind. Only you know how to set the trap that will remove them safely and prevent me from getting skunked. Thank you for those who will come alongside and help me get it right. Amen.
Bird-Kindergarten
A cold winter storm is blowing through southern California today, yet I see an abundance of birds at the bird-feeders in our garden. All of the activity reminds me of one morning last spring when there was also a lot of activity out there – lots of birds singing and chattering away as they waited their turn at the feeders, many arriving in pairs at our fountains. There’s always activity in our garden, but that day was unusual with lots of extra wing fluttering and so much chirping that I was compelled to see what the ruckus was about.
As I watched in the warm sunlight I slowly realized that these were baby birds recently fledged from their nests and they were being trained by their moms in basic life skills. We were having bird kindergarten!
A young house finch watched her mom jump onto our filigreed fountain, take a sip of water and then dip and shake, taking her morning bath. This precious young one, clinging to the dry fountain edge, soon dipped her head into the water while shaking her wings and body, trying to copy her mom’s movements. Only her head made it into the water as she dipped, so no water flew when she shook, but she as learning , taking baby-bird steps into adult house finch life.
Nearby another mom and young finch were at the bird-feeder. The mom took seeds in her bill, cracked the shell open and ate the tasty seed-meat inside. The youngster watched for a short time but then began chirping and fluttering his wings just as he had done in the nest, opening his mouth wide. I don’t speak “house finch” but I knew he was saying, “Feed me, Mom! Feed me! I’m hungry and this looks yummy!” The mom ignored him for a little while, letting him watch her, waiting to see if he’d follow her lead and feed himself. But he didn’t and soon she fed him as he waited beside her. Had he not acted this way it would not have been easy for me to tell that he wasn’t a mature house finch, able to feed himself.
As I watched this activity and even more that was happening that spring day, I thought about God’s loving, caring provision for me. He is like these finch parents that teach their young how to live and survive in this world. He takes delight in His children as we dwell in the shadow of His wings. He is so patient with us yet He wants us to grow up and learn how to live with the life-skills He gives us, praying with Him, reading His word and standing firm in trials.
Hebrews 5:12-14 states: “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.”
Lord, grow me strong in your word, taking me from milk to solid food. Help me follow your perfect example and live as you want me to live each day.
The Caterpillar Bush
Several weeks ago I discovered a bush in our front yard that seemed to be growing caterpillars. It was a “volunteer” milkweed (sprouted up on it’s own) that was about 8 feet tall and had pretty little white flowers similar to a lily of the valley. We have several of these plants growing in another part of the garden and when the flowers are spent, seedpods form that look like big green tennis balls. It definitely makes an impression but none of those plants grew caterpillars!
When I discovered this big bush I was struck by how strong and healthy it appeared and moved in to inspect it more closely. That’s when I noticed a couple of large caterpillars feasting on some of the leaves…then a few smaller caterpillars on some stems…then several more of different sizes…and I realized that the bush was virtually covered with caterpillars of the monarch butterfly. I stopped counting at 35. Amazing! And the bush was so hearty and healthy that it easily provided life sustaining nourishment as it’s leaves were being eaten by all of those caterpillars.
So I began checking on the caterpillar bush regularly, looking for tiny new caterpillars just beginning their life-cycle, as well as large ones ready to take their journey to find their chrysallis spot and begin the last leg of it. What fun to have such an abundance of activity in one place! But with all of those caterpillars chomping away on the milkweed I wondered how long it would be able to sustain it’s own growth as well as theirs. Just one monarch caterpillar can eat a LOT of milkweed in a day.
After a few weeks the caterpillar bush began looking really ratty. Most of the leaves had been eaten down to the nub. Flowers had been devoured without a trace left behind. Even tennis-ball-seedpods weren’t safe from these ravenous eating machines. Every little stem that showed a sign of new leaf growth seemed to have a caterpillar on it eating every last bit of it away. The once lush green plant was nothing but stripped branches and a few half-eaten seedpods, with about a dozen starving caterpillars roaming to and fro searching desperately for food. It looked like it was time for me to step in and rescue some of these ravenous roamers and take them to our other milkweeds plants around the garden. This poor plant had almost nothing left to give!
So that’s what I did, carefully carrying each chubby green-, black- and white-striped caterpillar to a new feasting spot. When they found there was more milkweed on which to feed they began eating immediately. I’m sure they were very happy to be in their new home.
However, I couldn’t help but wonder about the caterpillar bush, now stripped of it’s former foliage. How long would it take it’s leaves to regrow in order give life-sustaining nourishment to a new group of caterpillars? I did know that as long as it’s roots were strong and able to draw nutrients from the rich soil where it was planted this hearty milkweed would shows signs of recovery quickly. It had been created to support the life of the monarch butterfly and adapted to such changes easily. It just needed to abide…remain…and become refreshed.
I need to remember that lesson myself. I’ve been created to do good works, which God prepared in advance for me to do. However, when I feel as if I’ve given to others to the point of exhaustion and have nothing left to give; that every bud or bit of life-sustaining love has been sucked away, I need to abide in my Lord…remain silently at His feet…find His refreshment for my soul. When I am “rooted and established in love, (I will) have power…to grasp..the love of Christ” and “out of His glorious riches He (will) strengthen (me) with power through his Spirit in (my) inner being.” Ephesians 4:17b-18, 16. And soon enough, like the caterpillar bush, I’ll be ready to give to others again!
“Come to me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28
Lord Jesus, thank you for the power that you give to accomplish your work and for the rest you provide when I am weary. Help me to always abide in you so I don’t do Your work in my own strength.