Stay Under Cover

As seen in the HEARTbeat and the Village Voice

Stay Under Cover!

             I try to stay active, and Hot Springs Village is the place for it.  There are so many things one can do from fishing, hiking, golfing, pickle ball, swimming, workout rooms, etc., etc., etc.  There is something for just about everybody “within the gates.”

             One of my favorite pastimes is riding my bicycle very early of a morning.  I chose that time because of the light traffic, cooler temperatures, and the wildlife I see along the roadside.  Deer will stand in amazement of the bicycle approaching them with a flashing light on the front.  Sometimes they stand still, and other times, especially if it is a mama and her spotted baby, run in fear of the old man huffing and puffing trying to get up the hill.

At one water break, I rested and listened to the birds.  I was parked under a huge tree.  I noticed a big flying bug leave the protection of the tree into the wide-open spaces over a road.  Suddenly a bird swooped in, snatched the bug, and flew off with their breakfast.  If the bug had stayed in the tree, or even flew down close the ground, it probably would not have been seen and would have escaped being the bird’s next meal.

Seeing the event unfold before me caused a few thoughts to run through my mind.  “Maybe if the bug would have stayed in the tree……”  “Maybe if it had flown next to the ground…..”  “Maybe if the bug would have flown with a lot of other bugs, it would not have been the one picked off by the bird!”  No matter which option, the bug could have stayed under the protection of some sort of cover of either trees, grass, or other bugs and survived.

Christians need to do the same.  Yes, we need to stay under cover, but not the kind that would make us hard to see.  There are several types of “cover” I can think of to protect us from the “pick-off bird.”

First, we need to stay with the other “bugs.”  When we attend church, we get encouragement and support from others.  After all, church is, as scripture says, for the strengthening of the saints (that’s us).  We praise, worship, and open God’s instruction book and learn what He would have for us.

Next, we need to cover ourselves in prayer.  Any father likes to hear from his children and to fulfill their needs.  No loving father ignores the needs of his children.  God the Father is no different, and loves us even more with a love we cannot comprehend.  We need to ask Him for His protection and guidance throughout the day.

Finally, we need to have the “cover” of fellow Christians, our brothers and sisters in Christ.  There is just something about having others pray for you that gives us strength in our times of need.  It helps strengthen our spirit.

Stay under the right cover, put on the full armor of God, and don’t be an easy target for the enemy by spending time with our loving Heavenly Father daily.