Hello tender friends!
God’s ways are always better.
We found a baby deer in the tree line around the house a few days ago. She was tiny and cried out for her mother, apparently abandoned. She walked back and forth looking lost and blinking her beautiful, long-lashed eyes.
The next morning, she lay curled up where we’d seen her the day before, still crying out, her cries a bit weaker. I could see all her ribs.
“She needs milk,” Anthony said as he scooped her up in his arms and put her on her back porch. He tried to bottle feed her, but she wouldn’t take it.
I left her a bowl of water and told her we loved her after Anthony left for work. Her sounds were so mournful, and her thin body looked so frail all curled up. I called the wildlife rescue center and Jacob and I prayed.
With Jacob, I prayed that God would heal her. Privately I prayed this:
Lord, it looks like she’s not going to make it, and I’m afraid that Jacob will be traumatized if she dies. If you could just do this miracle, think about what a testimony it would be for Jacob! I’d be able to remind him for the rest of his life about that day you miraculously healed a baby deer when he was 4-years old. He’ll always be able to declare that God really does do miracles!
I knew that it was nothing for God. Jacob sang to her to lift her spirits after we prayed. He sang, “Buenos días Cierva!” Which means “Good morning, doe!” He said it over and over with such pep that I thought it was a good omen. Singing “good morning” seemed hopeful.
We checked on her every half hour or so, and I checked for signs that her body was rallying.
A few hours later, Jacob left the garden and returned. “Mommy, I think the deer is dead,” he told me. I clenched up. Lord, it’s not too late to do a miracle.
We went to the porch. Jacob was right. She was dead.
I stayed externally calm, but I was disappointed inside. I said to Jacob, “Well you’re right. She is dead now.” I fought the urge to cry, because I didn’t want to make it more dramatic for him.
But to God I said, “That could have been such a good testimony for a 4-year old!” As if He didn’t know already know that. As if God needs advice from me.
Then Jacob grabbed my hand and said, “It’s okay, Mommy. Sometimes God takes people to heaven to heal them there. God took the deer to heaven to heal her there.”
When he said that, I did cry. Someday I’ll tell him how much I needed to hear that. Heavenly healing isn’t something that we have ever discussed with Jacob. I’m not sure where he got it from.
I called Anthony and told him she was gone, but that Jacob was ok. He immediately said, “That’s good. It’s good for him to learn about death first in animals.”
God doesn’t need advice from me…
Ok, that’s all for today, tender friends! Thank you to the new friends who have signed up for updates. I’ll be sharing a garden update on Thursday.
Thank you for stopping by, and thank you for sharing!
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