I went down to the barn this evening to feed and care for my horse, Rayo, as I do every evening. After completing the normal "horse chores," I lingered for a while, my arms crossed over his stall door, just watching him. His beauty always amazes me, and his coat is so shiny that it looks like I dowsed him with oil. He came over to me and blew hot air from his nostrils, as if wanting to communicate. I breathed back, not speaking. He perked his ears forward, then began munching his hay. I don't normally stay very long in the barn in the evenings, especially when I haven't had supper yet, but I felt compelled to just spend some extra time there in front of Rayo's stall. It had been a rough day, and I welcomed the few moments of solitude.
It was then that I heard the squeal. I wasn't sure what it was, but it was coming from the far side of the barn. I quickly picked up a manure fork and walked towards the sound. It was a desperate cry. Something was in trouble. I searched in the growing darkness of evening, but saw nothing. There it was again...a shrill squeal. I went outside and searched, following the noise. Was it a cat? A bird? Then I saw it in the grass. A baby rabbit with a huge black snake wrapped around it's small furry body, squeezing it tighter and tighter. The squealing stopped. I thought the life had been squeezed out of the tiny baby bunny. But no, it cried again. I took the fork and poked at the snake. It looked at me and started to strike, waving his tongue as if to threaten me. I did not want to kill it, since these snakes are not venomous and control the mice population. So I kept poking and jabbing at his black scaly body until he finally let go and slithered into the thicket. The bunny ran into the pasture and flattened his body out onto the grass. I slowly approached, talking soothingly to him. He watched me, but didn't move. I knelt down next to him and quietly reassured him. "I saved you just in time from that old snake, poor little bunny. I hope you are OK." I was so close, and wanted so badly to pet and calm him, but knew I shouldn't. I needed to make sure he was not badly injured, so I moved even closer, hoping he would get up and hop. And that he did! He hopped full speed back behind some bushes.
I was confident that he would be fine.
I started to walk back towards the house, but stopped. It was as if my feet wouldn't move me forward. I immediately saw a parallel of what had just happened and my own life. It was as God was talking to me through what had just occurred.
I was the little brown bunny, feeling hopelessly squeezed by pressures of recent circumstances. The enemy of my soul was trying to discourage me in so many ways, that I felt at times like I had no strength left in me. I had been desperately crying out to God in prayer. And tonight He let me know in such a tangible way that He is my deliverer. I felt Him "poke at the snake" until it released me. He then lovingly reassured me that He is always there in the nick of time, that He hears my "squeals" of desperation. I felt His awesome power free me. I sensed His love.
I smiled as I walked back to the house, grateful that I had been there for the little bunny, and once again, reassured that God would always be there for me.
