Peace and Rest

You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. Isaiah 26:3 (NIV)

Washing the dishes at my house isn’t much of a chore when I get to see these sorts of critters just outside the window. It seems mama has picked up on my movements, but junior is a bit oblivious to me. I must not have made too much of a disturbance, as both were still there long after I finished my dish-washing assignment.

Because sleeping can be a time of great vulnerability to predators, it is a rare thing to see a deer sleeping in the wild. Their ears are almost constantly swiveling about, keeping them alert to any sound which isn’t in sync with the rhythm of the forest surrounding them. If they hear something which doesn’t sound right, they can be up and gone in a flash.

Deer like to sleep in areas which feel safe to them, and a deer that is bedded down is usually resting and chewing its cud. They can sleep with their eyes either open or closed, and with their heads in several different positions – up in the air or against their sides, or propped on their feet, as the smaller deer in the picture is doing.

In general, deer tend to sleep from about thirty seconds to as much as ten minutes at a time. After that, they often snap to attention. This pattern may be repeated for about thirty minutes. Then they may stand and stretch before lying back down for more rest.

Deer are often more active at night than in the daytime. In winter, they will bed down in the sunshine to help stay warm. At night they often walk into the wind to help detect and avoid predators.

The two deer in the above photo apparently feel at peace outside my window, as they returned for a few more days of dozing before moving on.

Peace is a valuable thing, and not easily found. I hope you are at peace with God. If you are not sure how that can happen, please see Got God.docx

Have a great day.