Wildlife ...

 Andrew found himself leaning against the rock on which he often sat, remembering Max, and some of their earlier adventures.  He closed his eyes, as if to dream, and it all came back to him as if it was only yesterday ...

                        As the baby raccoon tumbled head over paws with the bunnies, Mouse grew more and more pensive. “I must go and talk with Andrew. Maybe he’ll explain it better” she thought. “Now if I just knew where to go to …”

 

            “Looking for me?” asked the angel.

 

            “How did you know?  Oh never mind. I’ll never understand.”

 

            Andrew chuckled as he scooped up the befuddled cat. 

 

            “Those of you who were companions and pets are waiting for your people to be reunited with you. But it isn’t so with wild creatures. Like you, their lives are short compared to those of man, and often their passing makes possible the lives of others to continue.  Come, we will go and watch awhile, maybe you’ll understand better then.”

 

            “See, there by the side of the road … “

 

            “Oh no … it’s one of the baby foxes. Mama will be so sad …”

 

            “… and over there, a squirrel lies still” Andrew gestured to the cat. 

 

            “But remember. The Creator knows when even a sparrow falls. He has provided for all those to whom He breathed life.  See, even now their spirits are being met by others of my kind.”

 

            “But where will they go? Do they go to our meadow?” 

 

            Andrew smiled and answered “Our Father’s house has many rooms.”

 

            “Huh? House? Rooms?”  

 

            Andrew pocketed the squirrel, and tucked the baby fox under his other arm …. 

            … and set them down by his favorite rock under the big tree.  As they awakened and stretched, the squirrel scampered up the tree, and the little fox looked with eyes full of questions at Andrew and the cat.  A lovely doe and her twin fawns came close, and accepted an apple from Andrew.  The fox’s eyes grew wide!

 

            The doe lowered her face to greet the baby fox.  “Welcome!”  she said.

 

            That did it. “But …” 

 

            “You see, your lives are woven together.  When the doe was killed by a motorist, your mother took her twin fawns back to your den, to feed you. Her life was not wasted, nor were the lives of her babies. Do you remember the quilts your Mama made?  How all the little pieces that were left over from other projects were fit together, to make yet another quilt?  All of you are bits and pieces of God’s “quilt”.”

 

            “Here there is no hunger or thirst,” he continued.  “All of you are loved and welcomed.  You may run and play and know that you are safe from harm, that every one of you is special to the One who made you.” 

 

            With that, one of the little fawns touched the baby fox with her nose. “Tag, you’re it!” and she bounded away. Soon the three of them were romping in the soft grass, with total abandon.  

 

            The doe accepted another tidbit from Andrew. 

 

            “Will all these go through the big Gate with Mama?” Mouse asked. 

 

            “They already can, because there are angels who came to meet them. Do you remember the Book your Mama read to you at Christmas time?”

 

            “Oh yes! But she read it all the time. Sometimes she read some of it to me, but I didn’t always understand it all.”

 

            “Sometimes your Mama didn’t either! Do you remember her saying “The lion shall lie down with the lamb?”

 

            “Yes! I always wondered about that part. Lions eat lambs.”

 

            “But not here. Here is where all things are in harmony with each other. It is as God promised.”

 

            By now the squirrel, curious himself, had perched himself on Andrew’s shoulder. From the angel’s pocket came a few choice acorns, which the squirrel accepted politely. 

 

            “Come, Max will be worried about you by now …”

                               

            

            … Mouse found herself watching the raccoon and the bunnies again.  

 

            “You seemed a million miles away.  You okay?” asked the cat.

 

            “I just had the strangest conversation with Andrew, who isn’t here, but he was, and I went with him, but I don’t know where we were, and there was a baby fox and a squirrel, and a mama deer and her babies and it was all so …”

 

         Max chuckled.  “Been there, done that” he said.  “Sometimes it’s all a bit much to sort out, but trust me, everything is as it should be.”  

 

            “Does Mama know about all this?” she asked.  

 

            “Um hmm, she does. It’s called “Faith” and Mama has it,” he answered. 

 

            As Andrew watched from afar, he again marveled at the understanding and commitment God’s creatures had, so much more simplified than Man. They didn’t get all bound up in theories and doctrines, they didn’t question the will of God. They simply accepted.

 

            All was well …

 

 

 

      © Rose Scott