Near Deer Experience

I just drove home from my mom's house, and to get home I have to drive 17 miles down "Crazy Deer Road." I can't remember how many times I had to brake for deer tonight! One time I had to come to a complete stop because the crazy deer wouldn't move! It just gave me that "deer in the headlight" look. Oh well, I guess all the deer on our ranch road keep me driving the speed limit (at night, anyway)! Seeing all the deer tonight, reminded me of a near "deer" experience I had a few months ago (pardon the pun)!

It was a crisp fall morning, perfect weather for a jog, at the ranch. Being the cautious and sometimes fearful person that I am, I grabbed my cell phone and hollered for Popeye (our killer Chiahuahau) to accompany me on my morning run. After saying a quick prayer, I was on my way. "What are you afraid of?" You may ask. Well, there are a number of things that go through my mind as my Adidas are kicking up dust, and many of those things I'm not too fond of. Rustic ranchland, 5 miles from the Rio Grande, poses many threats, such as rattlesnakes, mountain lions, coyotes, bobcats, skunks, an occasional mad bull, "illegals", and black bears (yes, one was spotted a few months ago)!

As I was jogging, and deep in thought, my senses went on alert when I heard something rustling in the bushes. Before I had time to wonder if it was a mountain lion, drug smuggler, or raging bull, a huge axis buck ran out in front of me! Being of the skiddish sort, I jumped to the right and it ran past me a few feet to my left (at full speed)! I thought my heart was going to pound out of my chest. If it would have ran into me, it could have done some serious damage! Now I have one more thing to add to my list of possible dangers when I go for a jog, and I never thought it would be a deer! The next time I see a huge axis buck, that up-close-and-personal, I hope it's mounted above my fireplace!

Although the mental picture of this incident is kind of comical, it's an evident display of God being my Almighty Protector! A few feet to the right, and I could have head-butted a deer with a huge rack! I've got to give all the credit to God for keeping me safe. When I was young, my mom was adimant that I learn Psalm 91. It's a prayer of protection. I say this scripture when I'm feeling like I need extra protection and it always gives me a sense of peace: "He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High, shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust..."