The other day when I weeded the garden beds along one side of the house, I happened to look up--and froze.
Tucked between a petunia plant and the house, all curled up, lay a tiny baby deer. I stared in awe. So perfect . . . so miniature . . . so helpless. I drew back a step when it briefly opened its eyes. By this time, the sun's heat beat down on the little creature. Was it thirsty? How long had it been here? And where was the mama?
A quick call to the Game Commission assured me that the doe would be back. After giving birth, rather than draw attention to her vulnerable baby, Mama finds a safe place for it to rest, then later comes back, feeds it, and together they find food and safety.
Reflecting back on this experience, we could not do one thing to help our tiny friend. We could not touch it, give it food and water, or find its mother. It wasn't our role.
In our life stories, we often wrestle with our roles. We want to help, lend a hand, or even rescue. Yet, it may not always be in the best interest of those we wish to assist. As with the deer, we have the potential to do more harm than good.
A friend once suggested we ask three questions:
What is my role?
What role do others play?
What is God's role?
These questions have been a most helpful tool to discern when to help and how. And when to do nothing more than watch and pray. God, in His infinite wisdom, has a plan in place. We only need to discern our role and carry it out.
What's your role today?