Deuteronomy 33:27 – The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.

While walking my dog a few days before Christmas, she hesitantly drew me towards a beautiful hemlock tree. There, underneath, lay a fair sized grey tabby cat, front paws crossed, but very, very still. There was no question. He was dead. There was no blood or appearance of the trauma of a poisoning and he appeared to have been well fed. I speculated as to his having perhaps been hit by a car, limping to the safety of the ground under the tree, lying down and dying, or perhaps freezing to death. He looked to be asleep, so peaceful.

The property owners were not around, it was a home/business, closed for the holidays. Upon phoning around to all the agencies, the City Pound, SPCA and the City Public Works, it was evident that no-one could or even would do anything with the remains. There was nowhere to put the body, but as it wasn't blatantly visible to all passersby, and the weather was cold enough to keep everything intact, it seemed to be safe until the owners returned.

Something beautiful happened. Each day as we passed the tree, the weight of the rain weighed down the boughs so that on Christmas Day, the boughs almost touched the ground, and the little body was covered and protected, sheltered from the elements and curiosity seekers, be they two- or four-legged ones. It stayed that way until the owners came home several days later and were notified.

God works that way within our lives. When it seems that no help can be found, he is there, "covering" us, protecting us in his everlasting arms.

Prayer: Gracious Father in heaven, may we always remember that we are covered and protected by the everlasting arms of your love, especially in those times when it seems we are alone. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

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About the author:

Mary Daniel <marydee@shaw.ca>
Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada
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