“We still do not know one thousandth of one percent of what nature has revealed to us.” –Albert Einstein
I like to go walking on my farm with my dogs. I started wanting to explore the fields and woods when I was a young teen. That was a long time ago, but I still remember how wonderful it was to take off to explore the woods with my dogs back then. Everything was fresh and new to me from the leaves budding in the spring to them drifting down in the fall. I loved walking in the snow. I liked finding pretty rocks. I shivered when I came across snakes on the paths, but I still wanted to get close enough to get a better look.
I’ve been taking to the fields and woods ever since. Perhaps not as much when I was a young mother. But as soon as my kids got older, I was off to the woods again. With whatever dog I had at the time. I always wanted a dog to go along with me. But having those dogs along often kept me from seeing wildlife. Maybe just me tromping along was enough to make the wild animals stay hidden.
But then cameras that you can strap to a tree that are motion activated came along. Many who use them do so to find a good hunting spot. With my trail camera, I’m only hunting for pictures to show whatever is out there among the bushes and trees that I don’t see while noisily walking along. A camera on a tree is a sneaky way to get a look at the hidden things in the woods. At least hidden from me.
Of course, I do often see deer hightailing it away when they spot me or my dogs walking across the fields. I sometimes even spot wild turkeys and various other critters. At times, through the years, my dogs have given chase to the animals that have stepped out of hiding. The chase generally leaves the dog with tongue hanging out and the wildlife back in hiding in the trees.
There can be whole flocks of turkey peering out at me when I’m walking past. If the sight of me or my dogs make them doubt their hiding place up in a tree, they can make it sound as if all the branches of a tree are coming down when they crash up and away.
Sometimes my trail camera catches a picture of something that I have never seen while walking. Like this owl. Or the coyote. I have come across a coyote now and again, but usually it will be across the field or the wind will be blowing my scent away from them. I prefer not seeing the coyotes when the dogs are walking with me. I know they are there. I see their scat along my paths and hear them singing their songs when the moon is bright. That gets Frankie really excited, but the one time he took off after a coyote, he made a quick retreat once he got a better look at what he was after.
The camera has caught more commonly seen wildlife too like rabbits, squirrels, raccoons, possums and many many deer. Now and again it catches a person walking by or posing for the camera. Not exactly a hidden thing.
But thinking about how I walk in the woods and fields while perhaps various animals are hiding and watching me made me think of this verse from Deuteronomy.
The hidden things belong to the Lord our God, but the revealed things belong to us and our children forever, so that we may follow all the words of this law.
…Deuteronomy 29:29 (Christian Standard Bible)
Just as the things I rarely see when I go walking belong to nature, I know they are there and even more than I can imagine. The trail camera shows the wildlife living out their lives as nature intended.
Nature has many hidden things. So, it is with the Lord. While I can’t know those hidden things that belong to the Lord, I can try to pay attention to those things that are revealed to me and do my best to follow a path of obedience and trust the Lord’s guidance. This quote from Corrie ten Boom says it well.
“Don’t worry about what you don’t understand in the Bible. Worry about what you do understand but don’t live by.”
Comments 10
Love the way you make ordinary things become extraordinary through your words. Thank you
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What a neat thing to tell me, Mitzi. Thank you. Encouraging words are a gift.
I like your photos of the wildlife that the camera took. It’s not often you can get close enough to see them, so this is a nice safe way.
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And you see them when they are usually relaxed and just going about their day, Connie. I’ve had fun with the trail camera.
I like the pics from the trail camera!! It’s fun to see the animals we don’t always see in their natural habitat, and that we don’t want to get too close to!! I have pics on my phone of a gator in the canal I walk by. As long as he’s in the water, I’m good!
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Definitely, would not want to see an alligator ahead of me in my path, Trudy. But on visits to Florida, I have spotted a few with heads in view on the edge of a canal or pool of water. That’s close enough for me. I’m happy when the wildlife I see runs if I get close. I wouldn’t mind seeing an owl fly overhead or perched in a tree and would love to see an eagle fly over my farm. They are in our area now. It could happen.
I so enjoy reading your words. They bring a warmth and coziness to my soul. We have a wildlife camera too but our pictures aren’t as clear. We probably need to upgrade ours. We see deer and turkey in our yard every so often and sometimes foxes and bobcats, although those are less frequent visitors, or we aren’t looking at the right time.
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That’s the thing about spotting wildlife, Janet. You can miss seeing them by minutes. They are here and gone quickly. I’ve very rarely seen foxes although I know they are on the farm. I do see turkey and deer fairly often on my walks. Deer more than the turkeys. And I’ve caught pictures of a bobcat but I’ve maybe actually seen one two times, both very early in the morning when I couldn’t be totally sure what I was seeing. I snapped a picture of one even though the light was dim in the early morning. Later I could tell it was a bobcat.
I love to see nature revealed on my cameras. I see quite a few critters on my back patio, sometimes all in the same night. I was startled though when the back camera captured a video of a skunk at the same time I was entering the front door. Yikes! My favorites are the birds. Last year a little sparrow would peck at the camera when the feeders were empty. Matthew 6:26 teaches that God provides for all, even the sparrows of the field. Maybe by feeding the birds, I’m doing a service for Him.
I love the Corrie ten Boom quote. She was a remarkable lady and servant for God. I named my youngest child Corey (but with a different spelling)… named after her and another lady that I knew and loved, whose name was Corrine. Corrine was another godly woman who had a striking resemblance to Corrie ten Boom in both appearance and her devout faith.
Have a great week Ann. I woke up to another snow frosted view today too. It’s a good day for sewing and bird watching.
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Birds can surprise you, Lavon. I’ve often thought a hummingbird buzzed my window in the spring to let me know it was here and time I got out the feeder. But it’s taking a step farther to peck at your camera. The sparrow had found the feeding button.
Corrie ten Boom has some many great spiritual thoughts that have become cherished quotes. Very neat that you named you daughter after her and a loved friend. Corey is a cut name.
Hope you’re getting your Christmas sewing done. Always love hearing from you.