As of late, I have been on the hunt for owls. If you have tried to spot an owl on purpose before you might know how daunting of a task this can be. Just think of how many times in your life you have seen an owl in the wild. To find an owl in the wild means a lot of time wondering aimlessly through the woods looking for trees that would make good owl roosts and then exploring the base of said trees for pellets(pellets are the left overs from owl picnics).
Yesterday after work I set off into the woods for another hour of searching high and low for these illusive creatures. It was nice to be outside in the cool, invigorating air. As my feet crunched through the snow, I was taken by the beauty of the tiny snow flakes that blew in the icy wind. The sun was already crouching down to find its bed behind the horizon which turned the flying frost into a golden glow around the trees by which it fell. I wondered a good while spotting many tracks from deer and what I assume were coyotes but no owls, nor any of their leftovers. I had been out there for almost an hour and there wasn't a whole ton of light left and I decided to break off the trail I had been blazing and head back for the main track. As I was gaining my bearing as to which way I would need to head to get back to the trail my eyes caught view of a dark mass sitting high, on the chalky, grey, limb of a poplar tree.
For a half second I thought I had accidentally caught sight of my elusive prey but alas it was not but a porcupine. I stood there a good while watching it... not that there was much to watch it hardly moved a muscle. I was taken back yet still, as I watched the wind blow it's bushy fur, it sat there huddled half way out on this branch, as the whole tree swung back and forth in the breeze. It definitely wasn't warm out either I am guessing the wind chills had to be getting close to -10 by this point. Yet, it just sat there... Eventually a stiff gust hit my face and snapped me back to reality. So I set up my camera and snapped a couple pictures of it (I wish I would have taken video). Then I packed my camera back up and watched it a few moments more and headed off to find the main trail.
As I hiked out though I couldn't shake the image of that porcupine from my head. Why was I so fascinated by it? I have seen them before in the wild and gotten much closer to them. I think it was just thought of it being out on that limb in the cold breeze. I kept thinking why did it just sit out there like that? I mean it could have sat against the trunk of the tree or could have climbed one of the many pine trees nearby. Surely, the dense pine boughs would have provided a some what better shelter from the wind. But it just sat there! Stupid animal! I caught myself in that thought though, as I remembered all the times I avoided things in the interest of self preservation. Things that would have made life more fulfilling and amazing and realized I am not much different. I can't count the number of times I have been out a limb, spiritually and mentally, rocking precariously back and forth in the stinging, cold gusts. Each time I was surrounded by opportunities for warmth and comfort and yet I sat there a huddled mass out on that branch trying to hold on to the little warmth my body could produce.
The thing is though for the porcupine the winds will eventually calm and the air will warm and it can go about its busyness. In my experience, those winds never went away and the air definitely didn't get any warmer. The longer I sat there the colder and more windy it became. Often, it got to be that I was left with a choice either break out and deal with it or check out and pretend it's not happening. I seemed to favor the later of the two. It seemed easier... I could pretend it was alright and distract myself with a whole arsenal of busyness that kept me from remembering the reality of that branch. But even still, every now and then a gust of that icy cold wind would blast me and snap me back to reality. Back just in time to that branch snapping and me crashing through a few more branches til I hit the ground. Scratched and battered I would finally climb the pine tree that was always nearby and find solace it in the shelter of its branches.
All this being said I hope you get the point of it all. God always has something better for us. No matter how cold the wind is, it will always be worth letting go of your own warmth to get closer to His warmth. Even if the wind is too cold and you die on the way rest easy for in a blink of an eye you will find yourself in the very presence of Him never again having to be out on that branch.
Take 'er easy.
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