Tip of My Iceberg

John and I were sitting on our back porch last evening, appreciating the quiet. Enjoying the whispers of dusk.

And cracking up over the antics of the deer.

Our home backs up to a pond and a green area. Peaceful. Beautiful. Quiet.

We’ve enjoyed the wildlife from our porch. The arrogant otters that play in the pond. As if they owned it. Ducks by the quackerfuls that chase each other and make noise because they can. (I do that often myself.)

But our favorites are the deer. Florida deer. They are always back there because our sweet neighbors, Ed and Sylvia, put cracked corn in their yard faithfully. A smorgasbord of crunch for these grazers.

We’ve seen as many as six back there at a time. Right now what’s especially enjoyable is the doe with her two fawns. Twins, I imagine. The little ones often have to wait till the older deer feed first.

Last night it was just this little threesome. Mom had her fill and slowly started wandering away. Back to the cover of the brush around the pond. The twins didn’t look up.

We made a bit too much noise, and one of the twins looked up and moved closer to Mom.

The other one kept eating.

The remaining twin looked up every now and again, but never in the direction of his family. He’d go right back to eating. His sibling got closer to Mom, then looked back at his still feasting twin.

Obviously torn.

I could imagine the conversation.

Mom: “Come on, you two. Time to go. You need to get to bed. Big day of scavenging tomorrow.”

Twin 1: “I’m coming.”

Silence from twin 2.

Mom: “Now, you two. Don’t make me come after you.”

Twin 1 looks at Mom. Looks at other twin.

Silence from twin 2.

Twin 1 heads in the direction of twin 2. Twin 2 looks up, chewing. “Really, Mom? I’m not done eating. I’m a growing deer.”

Twin 1 makes it back to the food. Both are now eating.

Mom: “You’ve got to the paw count of 3. One, two…”

Twin 1 slowly turns and heads back.

Twin 2 keeps eating.

Mom takes two steps towards the pair. Twin 1 runs to her side. Twin 2 looks up, still chewing, reaches down for one more bite and slowly walks towards Mom.

She doesn’t enter the brush until both have gone before her.

I had to laugh. I’ve had my kids ignore me like that. I did that to my folks.

I do that to God. All the time.

Obeying what I know is good and right is a choice I make every day. Some days I’m the more obedient Twin 1. Too often I’m Twin 2–doing it in my time. When I’m good and ready.

When King Saul disobeyed God and it affected a whole nation, the prophet Samuel had to teach him what true obedience was.

“Do you think all God wants are sacrifices–empty rituals just for show? He wants you to listen to Him! Plain listening is the thing, not staging a lavish religious production.”   I Samuel 15:22

Doing what’s right in God’s eyes is a heart response. Me acting “religious” to impress or please Him or anyone doesn’t mean a thing. He wants me to respond to Him because of His love for me. Because He’s my Father.

And Father really does know best.

First photo courtesy of 123rf.com.

Second photo courtesy of flickr.com