Tip of My Iceberg

When you live in a large, metropolitan area, there are a few things you expect to be true.

A fairly good pizza, delivery and take-out.

A bit of significant culture thrown in amidst the glitz of millenial new and tech-driven demands.

A diversity of people that adds to the richness and depth of the local landscape.

Shopping that soothes the retail demands of anyone.

Living in Orlando, Florida, we’ve got all this covered. And so much more.

It’s Mickeyville, for pete’s sake. Home of the Mouse and a bazillion other tourist attractions.

What’s not expected, in the middle of this urban oasis, is a predator that attacks at will.

I’m not talking about the two-legged kind.

We’ve got a bobcat living behind us.

I was working on my computer a few days ago when I noticed a blur of brown in our back yard. We’ve got quite a few deer back there, so I didn’t think much of it. Until it paused and I noticed it looked nothing like a deer.

It hunkered down on the edge of the lawn, then sprang a good ten feet and landed on a squirrel. Grabbing it in its mouth, it shook the animal and then bounded back the way it had come.

My neighbor, Ed, has seen these bobcats before. This was a first for me.

Further proof of his presence came a day later. When turkey vultures congregated in our back yard.

Never a positive thing.

I needed to mow the lawn, and I know those dudes have no respect for people when they’re eating. So I made a ruckus and wandered over to see what was on the menu.

A dead raccoon. Surrounded by duck feathers.

I’d interrupted a gruesome dining out experience.

So, to the list of unsavory co-habitors in our neighborhood, including alligators, a large variety of venomous snakes, mosquitoes the size of sparrows and arrogant carrion birds, I can now add large carnivorous cats.

Lovely.

I live life with an expectation that things will work out how I think they should. If I live in town, I shouldn’t need a shotgun to protect my yard from carnivores. If I’m kind, people will be kind to me. If I’m diligent, I’ll finish things well and will garner respect and appreciation from those I work with. If I’m loving, I’ll be loved in return.

Not always the case.

I may be able to get a good pizza, but not respect. I might have entertainment options, but not compassion from someone when I need it.

People are fickle. We all struggle with consistency and follow-through. Two of my obvious gaps.

Not God. He is who He says He is.

“And He who is the Glory of Israel will not lie, nor will He change His mind, for He is not human that He should change His mind!”   1Samuel 15:29

When God makes a promise in the Bible, He keeps it. It’s not in His character to lie or flippantly change His mind. His character is dependable.

Life is unexpected because people change in a moment. I’ve changed my mind about someone just because of what I thought they said about me.

God? He’ll never let me down. He is exactly who I expect Him to be.

Do you have someone you can count on who always follows through for you?