A Hidden Fawn
For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. 2 Timothy 1:7 (NIV)
When the doe tells her fawn(s) to “stay put,” she means it! Even in the face of danger, they will seldom move from that spot. They blend in well with their surroundings. Behind our house are lots of trees and ferns. We are often surprised at the number of little ones resting out there while the mothers take a break. Louis Lotz (All God’s Creatures) shares his insights about the hidden fawn and faith.
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Three more steps and we would have tripped over it. My wife and I were taking a morning walk through our meadow, wading through the tall bluestem grass, when a fawn popped out of hiding and trotted away on wobbly, stick-skinny legs. “He was right there in front of me,” my wife said, laughing, “and I never saw him.”
That’s the idea. Fawns know how to hide. Their coat, reddish-brown and freckled with white spots, offers excellent camouflage. And a fawn’s scent glands are not yet fully developed, so he has almost no odor. Predators can’t see the fawn, hunkered down in the tall grass, and they can’t smell it. No wonder there are so many deer around here. Fawns are good at hiding.
I keep my faith hidden deep in my heart. But sometimes I wonder if it is a little too well hidden, if you know what I mean. If a neighbor was hungry and I had food, I’d share some. But recently, when a neighbor was going through a hard time and clearly needed the Lord, my faith stayed hidden, deep in my heart. Sharing my political views comes easy to me. What my favorite sports team should do to have that winning season—I’ll talk about that at the drop of a hat. But my relationship with Christ, the most crucial and controlling factor in my life—too often that stays hidden. Maybe I’m afraid I will say something wrong. Maybe I worry that my life doesn’t match my witness and my testimony will come off as hypocritical.
A fawn needs to hide, but my faith needs expression. No more reticence about sharing my faith with friends and neighbors. No more hiding God’s faithfulness to me.
Loving Lord, thank You for the life-lessons that we learn from nature. Nudge us to share our faith with others. Teach us to joyfully impact others through our faith. AMEN.