Holes

This is a hole that chipmunks dug in our yard.

We have a very wooded backyard. We have lots of oak trees and moss and rocks and very little grass. We like it that way. We kind of feel like we are in the mountains. Our yard is the home to a ton of birds and squirrels and chipmunks. Now chipmunks are notorious for digging holes and we try to fill them back in when we feel they pose a danger of someone stepping in them. But, chipmunks are relentless.

This hole, is at the very end of the walkway off of our deck. It’s right next to our house. As I was cutting okra and pulling a few figs yesterday, I noticed something shiny and black lying on the top of the chipmunk hole. As I went to investigate, I caught my breath; it was a snake, with only its head exposed. I have no idea how long the snake was in the hole, but I do know that I stepped around it several times that afternoon.

After I called my hubby to come check it out, it retreated further. I thought of that snake for the rest of the day and into the next. How big was it? When would it come out? Was it dangerous? My biggest question was, how long had it been there?

As many of my encounters with nature tend to do, this one made me begin to think about the possible holes in my spiritual life. How am I doing with the big three: prayer, Bible reading and worship? I think most of us can claim we do one or two well, but to really be able to put on the full Armor of God, we have to engage in all three. If we are lacking in one area, we leave a hole.

This is what finally came out of that hole.

Bible reading seems to be where most people fail, but we can’t really get engaged with the Holy Spirit, if we don’t read God’s word. How can we develop wisdom and discernment? How do we know if a calling comes from God or somewhere else if we don’t know what He has to say about the matter.

We need the Holy Spirit to help us develop love, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, self-control and perseverance first in ourselves, and then to share with a badly hurting world. In the Armor of God, the Holy Spirit is the only offensive weapon. It’s a sword. It’s important.

Then there’s prayer. If we want to hear what God has to say, we have to listen intently. That means setting aside some quiet time daily to pray. Believe me, I know how hard that can be, but still very necessary.

Then there’s worship. In worship, we engage with other Christians in lifting up the name of God. The importance of worshiping the Creator of all on a regular basis, is also incredibly important to our spiritual life and spiritual safety. It creates a community that is vital to our spiritual growth.

When we pray about what areas need work, we can make an effort to fix them and plug any holes that we may have.

My hubby plugged the hole with a rock.

If we leave the holes uncovered, who knows what might move in? Chipmunks aren’t the only thing that is relentless. How do you do with spiritual holes?

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂