I headed out the side door yesterday morning to go pick beans. Lo and behold … the mama deer and her two babies were right there underneath the apples trees! How fortuitous!
This calls for a photo …
The little girl deer – Juniorette – was skittish and right away she bolted off towards the garden.
The little boy deer – Junior – was much more observant of the situation. Right away he picked up on the fact that mama deer was very composed and held her ground. So little Junior moved over behind where she stood and he followed suit. It was clearly obvious he was curious as to why mama was holding her ground the way she was.
It soon became apparent … as, instead of heading off to the garden to pick beans, I made my way over to the apple trees to pick a few apples for them. After all, little Junior and Juniorette aren’t tall enough yet to pick apples for themselves. And they need some tasty treats too!
I proceeded to pick 4 or 5 apples and roll them over to mama deer, and little Junior (who was closely observing everything from his spot behind her). I could almost hear little Junior thinking: “Ohhhh! So that’s why mama was so calmly holding her ground.”
And I could also sense little Juniorette (way over next to the garden) thinking: “Wait a minute! I’m missing out! I’m way over here and I’m missing out on something exciting.”
I then turned and headed on over to the garden to pick beans. Mama and Junior began feasting on the apples at their feet … while little Juniorette (very much wanting to be part of the excitement, but too fearful to pass me next to the garden) made her way across the entire back yard and around the far side of the house … in order to go around the front and get back over to this side where mama and her brother were feasting on apples.
Little Junior and Juniorette are learning the “Basics of life” … one of which is: “Begging!”
Little Junior and Juniorette are not familiar with “Begging.” But mama was showing them how it’s done. It is indeed possible to influence/change someone’s behavior just by using your eyes! A soulful, steady, unflinching gaze … held to infinity.
“Begging” does indeed succeed (at least in this part of the forest, with these apple trees) in getting apples picked off the tree (just for you!) and rolled over to you!
The whole situation reminded me of Jesus’s teaching on prayer:
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; whoever seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
“Which of you, if your child asks for bread, will give them a stone? Or if they ask for a fish, will give them a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to our children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” – Matthew 7:7-11
“Then Jesus said to them, ‘Suppose one of you has a friend, and he goes to him at midnight and says, “Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have nothing to set before him.” Then the one inside answers, “Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children are with me in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.”
“’I tell you, though he will not get up and give him the bread because he is his friend, yet because of the man’s boldness/persistence he will get up and give him as much as he needs.
“’So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. …
“If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” – Luke 11:5-13
Just like little Junior deer and little Juniorette are learning the “Basic of life” – “Begging!” – so too we each need to learn this “Basic of life” when it comes to our spiritual life. God tells us plainly to ask! Or in other words: “Beg.”
Calmly hold your ground, and let soul reach out to God concerning your needs and desires … just like mama deer calmly held her ground and used her soulful, steady, unflinching gaze to communicate her desires with me.
“Ask” – God tells us.
“Ask” and he will be happy to answer.
“Beg” … and he will be happy to respond by “picking some apples off the tree” and “rolling them over to where we stand.”
