Reliable Guidance
A friend
gave us a book of Audubon prints for Christmas, and on most mornings I open it
up randomly to enjoy the bird of the day.
A couple weeks ago I opened the book to a painting of distraught
mockingbirds trying to defend their nest from a fearsome rattlesnake. This
appeared to be artistic license on the part of Mr. Audubon, as rattlesnakes
don’t climb trees. The correct species
would have been the blacksnake. Last
fall I saw a series of snakes after my vision quest, all seeming to tell me to
pay attention. Snakes aren’t out this
time of year, so maybe this was Creator’s way of sending me one.
I then
went to Hospice to volunteer. The nurse
informed the staff that a visitor told her the smell of a dead skunk was
preventing a patient from opening his window.
Hospice is a responsive organization; the nurse and I went out with
gloves, bags, and a shovel. Interested
ravens flew through the trees as we walked about trying to locate this skunk. We walked around and around, sometimes
getting a whiff of it, but were unable to find it.
A couple
came by, out for a walk with a hunting dog.
Once apprised of our mission, they led the dog to the place where we
could smell the skunk. He sniffed the
air, and in five seconds discovered the unlovely object of our search, well
camouflaged in pine needles. Triumphantly,
we scooped it into the bags and deposited it in the trash for next day pickup.
The
Hospice nurse remarked that this couple coming by with the dog must have been
meant to be. I agreed. In addition to a kindness towards a human
being nearing the end of his life, I wondered if Creator had a message for me in
this day’s remarkable events. I got the
feeling the snake was telling me that I can live more in the spirit world. But as I walk in this formless place of turning
everything over to Creator, loving guidance is assured. The skunk seemed to be telling me that hard
work and duty are an inseparable part of it.
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