A Secret Sighting
The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel (which means “God with us”). Matthew 1:23 (NIV)
We tend to see quite a few foxes up here in Northern PA. The trail cam picks up pictures at night as they come to scope out the chicken coup. They are truly a beautiful animal with their rust and black markings. Missy Tippens was blessed to finally see a fox. Enjoy the story she shares.
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I’ve felt a little left out lately when our neighbors mention seeing a fox in the neighborhood. Just about everyone in our cul-de-sac has talked about the timid red fox that hangs around this area. Then my husband started coming home from his morning bike rides and runs saying he had seen it too. I don’t exercise at the crack of dawn like he does, so I figured I would never be fortunate enough to experience a sighting of this shy creature.
Then one day I was out at dusk, pulling some weeds in our garden bed. I came around a shrub and saw the back of a small animal with a fluffy tail that didn’t look quite like a dog or a cat. Then it hit me. It was the fox.
I froze and watched as it moved silently around the corner of our house and disappeared into the woods. The moment felt very special. And I no longer felt out of the loop.
The incident reminds me of a painful time of loss in my life, a time when I felt left out, as if God were a million miles away. I wondered why I couldn’t feel His presence. I even felt envious of friends who talked about their relationship with God. I felt as if He didn’t care about me.
But with the help of someone who had been praying for me, I finally poured out my hurt to Him. I opened my heart and discovered that God had been with me all along. Yes, I was excited when I spotted our neighborhood fox, but that doesn’t compare to the joy I felt when I realized God is always with me. Always!
Father God, open our hearts, even when we’ve shut down in self-protection. Touch us with Your comfort and peace, reminding us that You’re always there. AMEN.
Photo: Michael Johnston