Deer Me!

Today had a most peculiar start. I headed for work as usual and made my way across town. As I turned onto the asphalt road that leads to the parking lot at the college where I work, I saw an SUV that looked much like one belonging to a co-worker in my office. It was stopped oddly on the wrong side of the road.

First my thought was that my friend had stopped to talk to me. I rolled my window down, but when I saw the driver, it was a young woman I did not know. I started to drive on, but there was this thing lying unmoving in the middle of my side of the road.

It looked like a large furry spotted rabbit, and I immediately surmised that it had been hit and killed by one of the various vehicles arriving before me. I made sure my car straddled the dead animal as I did not want to do any further damage.

The unknown driver of the other car (now right beside me) was waving frantically for me to stop. I did. Then she was wildly gestured as though to say back up in a hurry. I did.

By now, she was out of her car and asking what I thought we should do. I looked at her blankly. She went over to the animal; and it moved—it lifted its head. It was not the head of a rabbit; it was the head of a newborn fawn. We looked at each other in disbelief. The fawn made no attempt to escape. The young woman standing there looked helplessly to me, the older and wiser one (not that I had any idea what to do). Then, she gently poked the little deer. There was no response, just a trusting look from the beautiful eyes of the helpless baby—you know that pitiful look little fawns have.

After a few moments, she stooped down, picked up the baby, and laid it in the grassy area beside the road. We both realized it had no chance for life lying helpless in the middle of the road, but she was far more courageous than me. I kept watching the grove of trees and heavy undergrowth just past the grassy area for a sign of mother deer which I thought might be angry. I don’t know what I planned to do if mama came charging (maybe move my car in front of her), but I kept watch anyway trying to be of some help.

Neither the young woman nor I knew what to do next or who to contact. After a few minutes of pondering, we both needed to get to work; and we drove away, leaving the infant safely in the grass out of harm’s way.

Once in the office, I told my story and realized that the baby had been born right there on the road minutes before—after the others in the office had driven by. They began to brainstorm about whom they could call for help. One pointed out that mama deer might not have anything to do with a baby that was touched and that carried a human scent.

So how does the story end? I don’t know. A young man (an animal lover) came by and offered to care for it as he sought to contact the proper persons. Without some care and nourishment, the helpless newborn would surely die.

On the positive side of this incident, I understand that the fawn was helpless and needed a savior. Isn’t that a picture of us? We think we can take care of ourselves; but the situation is that we, too, are every bit as helpless and in dire need of a savior.

And, Jesus saw us in our dire need, stooped down, picked us up, and “made us to lie down in green pastures.” Otherwise, we, like that newborn fawn, would certainly perish.

On the negative side, I feel a bit like the priest and Levite in Luke 10:31-32, who were willing to pass by the man, bloody and beaten, lying on the road. Fortunately, others were more Good Samaritans than me. Just when I think I am becoming mature in the Lord, He reminds me that I am a sheep, dumb and in dire need of a shepherd.