The Hawks Are Back

Yesterday afternoon I noticed that something large had flown in front of my living room window.  Being the curious type, I stood by the window to see what it was, and then another something large flew by again.  It turned out to be two hawks, flying back and forth in front of our house.  I wanted to get a picture, but by the time I got the camera out, they had moved on.

We have had hawks flying around here before, but haven't seen them for a while.  It seems that they have returned.  As I watched them fly - and they are really fast! - I was reminded of a blog post I had written a couple of years ago about our dachsund Molly and the hawk that was flying around.
 
That post has been updated and is shared here today.

For those of you who don't know, Molly is our slightly overweight 10 year old dachsund. (I think being at least slightly overweight must be a requirement for being part of this household!!) Molly has always been a very social dog, which is quite different from previous dachsunds who have been part of our family. Molly loves people, unlike her predecessor Max, who only tolerated humans, particularly in his old age!

When we first moved to this mountain, we continued to use a leash when we took Molly outside. She was a city dog, after all, and being young and curious, we weren't sure exactly how she would respond to the freedom of being let outside on her own. That changed several years ago when I had ankle fusion surgery. Because Al travels a lot for his job, Molly and I were home alone. I could manage pretty well in the house with my walker and my wheelchair, but there was no way I could maneuver out the back door onto a snowy, icy carport. So we began to let her out on her own, and most of the time she was, and continues to be, good about taking care of business and then returning to the back door to be let in. There are occasional "wanderings", and sometimes a good bit of yelling (on my part, not hers!) to get her back where she belongs. But mostly, things have worked out well.

Sometimes Molly gets really focused on the scent of a squirrel or a chipmunk. Then she is completely oblivious to anything else around her.  I think of these as her "blonde" moments! Sometimes she just seems to be wandering aimlessly about in her own little world.

And this brings me to the hawks.  During the years we have lived here, a hawk has frequently been spotted circling overhead when Molly has been outside. A very large hawk. And remember that Molly, slightly overweight though she may be, is a small dog. That hawk could have Molly for lunch! (Or breakfast. Or dinner. Or a snack.) But dear Molly remains completely oblivious to the danger. She just wanders around. Looking for the perfect spot to do her business. Or sniffing for squirrels and chipmunks. Or lying in the sun. Yet, all the while, danger is lurking overhead. And so we go outside with her, on the alert for that hawk.  And now there are two!

I share that story because I'm concerned that many Christians in today's world are much like Molly.......completely oblivious to the dangers that surround us. In our culture. In our schools. In the workplace. In the movies we watch and the music we listen to and the books we read. Even in our churches. There aren't hawks literally flying over our heads. But there is danger, nonetheless, and we need to be alert.

The time to blindly accept everything we see or hear as truth is long past. We need to be alert to the lies and half-truths that are surrounding us. We need to compare everything we are told, everything we read or hear, to the plumbline of God's Word. Even what we read from the Christian bookstore or hear in church. Perhaps especially from those sources! We need to be careful that what is being presented as truth is, in fact, truth! The enemy of our souls knows that his time is short, and he will use any and every means available to achieve his goals.

"Be on the alert!  Your adversary the Devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour. Resist him, firm in the faith." ( 1 Peter 5:8-9 HCSB)

"Be on your guard, so that you are not led away by the error of the immoral and fall from your own stability. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and to the days of eternity. Amen." (2 Peter 3:17-18 HCSB)

"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep;s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves."  (Matthew 7:15 ESV)