DIY Deer Guard
Chaplain Bill Wolfe
Llano County Sheriff’s Department
Hi and welcome back to the Chaplain’s Corner. Last month I used my experience in hitting a deer with the patrol car as an illustration. I spoke about the deer guard on the car as being symbolic of a relationship with God, one that will help us when we collide with "things" as we go through life. And I mentioned that there are all different "qualities" of deer guards. But, I never said how to "find one to fit your car." ☺
There is really only one way to get a "deer guard" to fit our "car" - that is to DIY (no, not DUI, wiseguy). Do It Yourself. We have, to some extent, become a nation of do-it-yourselfers. (Just look at all the home improvement shows out there. Several of them feature women complete with nail aprons, hammers and chop saws.) In the spiritual realm, there are no pre-built "deer guards," each one is "custom made by hand" by each individual.
When it comes to putting things together, my philosophy seems to tend towards WAEF-RTM (when all else fails, read the manual). Sometimes my "flying by instinct" seems to only get me in deeper. So, in this "construction project" let me highlight the main points of the project and we’ll refer to "the manual" as needed. The neat thing about this project is that there are "no special tools needed."
The first step seems somewhat over-simplistic, but to get started you need to decide that you want a "deer guard" and then talk to the "supplier." The Scriptures state that in order to start building we must first believe that God exists and is a rewarder of those who seek Him. (Hebrews 11:6) In Proverbs God says that when we sincerely seek Him we will find Him. So, the task is doable. ☺
Ok, we’re going to need some "tubing" - the "raw material." What we start with is an understanding that God loves us and wants to have a personal relationship with us. He may not approve of things we’ve allowed into our lives, but He loves us nonetheless. The Love of God is strong stuff, suitable for making our "deer guard."
All right, we’ve got a piece of "tubing" that’s long enough for our needs. The second thing then, is getting the "tubing" "bent." I’ve said "no special tools required" and that this "tubing" is strong stuff. How then do we get it "bent" into the shape of a "deer guard?" Can’t bend it with our "bare hands." Exactly. That’s the second point. We have to recognize that we can’t do it by ourselves.
The Good News of the Gospel is that what that we can’t do, God already did. Some 2000 years ago, God stepped into human history to "bend" that "tubing" into a "usable form" by dying on a cross. Then He welded it into a seamless piece of work by rising from the dead on Easter morning. The amazing thing is that in those two events, He made and reserved a "deer guard" for every person who would ever come into being.
OK, so philosophically speaking, God’s got this huge inventory of deer guards, one of which is especially made for each of us. What now? Well, in order for us to benefit from that "deer guard," we have to get it "attached to our car."
The attachment process again is simple, "no special tools required." All we have to do is decide we’re ready to do the "install." We just say to God "Let’s git 'er done," to use a little common lingo. It means we place "our car" in God’s hands and we step back and watch while He does the work. I watched the deer guard as it was being installed on one of our Crown Vics one time. The installer positioned it just so and then he bolted it to the bumper and then welded it to the frame. Similarly, God takes our "spiritual deer guard" and "bolts" it to our mind and "welds" it to our heart so that we have a solid understanding and a heartfelt conviction of what He’s done and will do for us.
What’s that? Oh, some astute Investigator over here has pointed out that I said this was DIY and I keep talking about God doing all the work. Well, it is DIY in that it involves: you making the decision to get a "deer guard", you placing your faith in God and His promises, and you accepting Him in to your life. No one else can do that for you. It’s not a "group" activity, it’s not something that just "gets passed down from Grandma."
Well, I see by the "word count on the wall" that I’m "out of time." Blessings to you and yours. Feel free to drop me an email any time and I’ll see you next month. And . Hey! Be careful out there. ☺
Chaplain Bill
llanochaps@moment.net
