Thus says the Lord: “Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls. Jeremiah 6: 16a

Imperfect Walkers

I was glad to see yesterday's cold rain turn to downy white flakes to cover all that depressing yellow grass and mud we've had to look at since the thaw.

 This morning, compliments of the snow, I was able to see clearly where a raccoon had climbed the south steps of our deck, wandered under the porch swing, then over to the place near the porch door where we feed the barn cat. (Thank goodness we hadn't accidentally left out any cat food last night.) The raccoon turned in a circle, then its tracks disappeared for a short distance in the jumble of overlapping boot tracks we'd made after coming up to the house last night after shutting the chickens in. The raccoon had then ambled over to the east deck steps where it went down, its tracks disappearing in the grassy snow.

 Opossums, porcupines, and raccoons are members of a group called imperfect walkers. In her guide to mammal tracks, Track Finder, Dorcas Miller describes the group this way:

 "As a group, imperfect walkers are heavyset and move with a slow, lumbering gait. They gallop briefly, if at all. Because they lack speed and agility, they must escape predators by other means" (47).

 Hey, now! I think I'm offended!

 Oh, wait.

 She's describing wild mammals of eastern North America, not me. After all, for all my slow lumbering, lack of speed and agility, and strong aversion to galloping, what predators do I have to escape?

 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. I Peter 5: 8

 Oh, yes. That predator.

 The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.”  Genesis 4: 6-7

 In this verse, sin itself is personified as a predator "crouching at the door." Think about that.

 Cain had a choice. We do too.

 Thus says the Lord: “Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls. Jeremiah 6:16a

 This year, may we ask for the ancient paths, the good way, and walk in it. After all, who knows who or how many people are "tracking" our progress through this world? May we all walk, however imperfectly, into the new year filled with renewed faith, hope, love, and commitment to walking in the good way.

Daye Phillippo

January 2021