Deer in the Neighborhood
Deer live in my neighborhood. I have not figured out which house belongs to them, but they definitely seem to belong here. I walked past one this morning that lifted its head to nod at me as I past. I thought about waving, just to be neighborly.
The deer seem to be everywhere, but that being said, when you go looking for them you cannot seem to find them. Since I got here last Monday I have seen them every day, but never when I have gone outside to look. Strangely, I am always surprised when I do actually see them. I must stop what I am doing and stare, amazed and delighted by deer in the suburbs.
Thinking about these deer makes me think about the transformation in my life. Transformation comes, breaking into the ordinary, causing moments and lifetimes of awe and change. We like to say that we are prepared for transformation. We like to say that we welcome transformation, but more often than not, we take the attitude: Do not feed the deer!
Transformation can be just like the deer, an unwelcome nuisance, eating away at perfect lawns. Transformation comes unexpectedly, bringing with it learning and renewal unlike you have ever known before. You can try to shoo it away, but it still creeps into your life.
We try to build perfect homes, perfect lives. We like to think that we live in order, day in and day out, knowing what to expect. We think that we are in control of our lives. Then the Spirit breezes through our lives, trampling on what we thought was perfect, upending our control. The question is: do we resist the change or make room for the movement of the Spirit?
I wonder if I will ever get used to seeing these deer. Will I ever get to a point when I will not even notice them? That seems doubtful. They will not be ignored.
The deer seem to be everywhere, but that being said, when you go looking for them you cannot seem to find them. Since I got here last Monday I have seen them every day, but never when I have gone outside to look. Strangely, I am always surprised when I do actually see them. I must stop what I am doing and stare, amazed and delighted by deer in the suburbs.
Thinking about these deer makes me think about the transformation in my life. Transformation comes, breaking into the ordinary, causing moments and lifetimes of awe and change. We like to say that we are prepared for transformation. We like to say that we welcome transformation, but more often than not, we take the attitude: Do not feed the deer!
Transformation can be just like the deer, an unwelcome nuisance, eating away at perfect lawns. Transformation comes unexpectedly, bringing with it learning and renewal unlike you have ever known before. You can try to shoo it away, but it still creeps into your life.
We try to build perfect homes, perfect lives. We like to think that we live in order, day in and day out, knowing what to expect. We think that we are in control of our lives. Then the Spirit breezes through our lives, trampling on what we thought was perfect, upending our control. The question is: do we resist the change or make room for the movement of the Spirit?
I wonder if I will ever get used to seeing these deer. Will I ever get to a point when I will not even notice them? That seems doubtful. They will not be ignored.
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