Living out
in the country of a small northern town in Canada definitely has its
benefits. I love walking around the forest trails,
swimming in the lake across the street, having backyard campfires, seeing snow-capped mountains from my window and taking the dirt bikes or four-wheelers
up the old abandoned logging roads. Living
out in the country has its disadvantages too such as massive dumps of snow in
the winter, power outages, lack of internet access, long drives to town, and
moose eat all your fruit trees. 
The latest
news around my neighborhood has been the coyotes. We do get lots of wildlife on our land but the
coyotes are a different kind of pest. See
coyotes like to eat small animals and have a special way of luring their next victims. These sneaky little creatures camp out in
hidden isolated areas such as the forest bush at the back of our property and
begin to whine and howl with great volume as if they are injured or in danger. The unsuspecting dog goes over to see what
all the commotion is about to be swarmed by a mob of bloodthirsty coyotes.
Lately we
have noticed some signs around the neighborhood of missing dogs or cats which
we have figured to have been caused by the coyotes. Some of our neighbors keep shot guns by their doors to be ready for the first sign of the coyotes. This has prompted our family to take extra caution
and care to our little Morkie, Murphy by tying him up in the yard close to the
house every time he is outside. Murphy wouldn’t
stand a chance against a gang of vicious coyotes and would end up as a side
dish or appetizer for them. Murphy is a
little fireball of energy and would kill to not be tied up in the yard every
time he is outside. He barks like crazy
and tugs at his chain with all of his little ten pound body when he hears the
enchanting coyotes in the bushes. Our
family has a difficult time keeping this little puppy inside. If we leave the door open a crack, Murphy
slips outside like a rocket and runs around the neighborhood at a million miles
an hour crying, “Freedom!!!” We have
found it a frustrating fight to get him back in the house or from getting him
to stop urinating in the house. Despite
our best efforts at protecting him, Murphy still hasn’t learned that he cannot
run free outside. Sometimes we get so
frustrated (usually after one of us steps in a puddle of urine), we want to
give up, let him loose, and just let Murphy suffer with his own fate. We love Murphy, he is a part of our family
and even though he continuously rebels, we cannot upright desert him.
Doesn’t the
enemy have a way of luring us into things that seem so attractive or the “right
thing to do”? He sneakily guides us into
vulnerable places where we find ourselves the most weak and away from any sort
of protection or comfort. Despite others’
or our own precautions and attacks, we still find a way to slip out the door
and run straight into the enemy’s trap thinking it’s the best thing ever. Thankfully
we have a Father that loves us and knows what is best for us. Even though we continually rebel, complain of
His warnings and precautions and do our own thing, God doesn’t give up on
us. Don’t you think He must be just
little frustrated with us like when He steps in a puddle of our urine or can’t
make it even more obvious of the coyote camping out in the bush? Despite our failures and mistakes, we are His
children and He loves us unconditionally with no bounds. Our Father will keep picking us up from our mistakes
and building us up stronger.
So, my very dear friends, don’t get thrown off
course. Every desirable and beneficial gift comes out of heaven. The gifts are
rivers of light cascading down from the Father of Light. There is nothing
deceitful in God, nothing two-faced, nothing fickle. He brought us to life
using the true Word, showing us off as the crown of all his creatures."
James 1:13-18 (The Message)
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