Brett and I are still walking in the mornings even though it is pitch black outside. It takes great effort some mornings to crawl out of bed, but it is easier since we do it together. One of us is usually willing to kick the other out of bed. Brett does most of the kicking, but once we get back home I am (usually) glad he did.
We have a morning route we usually take. It goes through a subdivision and around on some pretty deserted back roads. Sometimes we run a little and sometimes at the end Brett runs and I continue to walk. Recently on one of those mornings we reached the stop sign and Brett headed out running. A jeep pulled up to the stop sign started to pull away and then stopped. The guy in the jeep rolled down his window and said, "hey I just wanted to tell you something because I see you guys out here in the mornings." Brett at this point had turned around and was coming back. I love how he runs backwards half the time just making sure I am safe.
The guy said, "a couple of nights ago I saw a mountain lion down one of these back roads." He said, "it wasn't like something ran in front of me and I thought maybe it could be a mountain lion. It was stopped on the road in front of me screaming for about 2 minutes, there is no doubt in my mind what it was. You guys just need to be careful out here in the dark."
So, for about a week we did the treadmill and elliptical inside because we were a little worried. You doubt, and you say what are the odds, but at the same time you think, wow I would hate to be attacked by one after having being warned.
But walking outside is so much more enjoyable than doing the treadmill. And soon it will be too cold for me to be outside at 6:00 in the morning. So, we decided to brave it, but to take some precautions. We stay in the subdivision by our house and avoid the deserted back roads. We make sure we have our lights so we can see what is around us. And we stay together, there is safety in numbers.
As I thought about that a verse came to mind. 1 Peter 5:8 "Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. "
Brett and I are taking precautions for an animal we don't even know is really out there. Yet, this verse warns us of a definite enemy that is prowling around looking for us.
What precautions can we take against this lion? The same ones. Stay away from places that might cause us to be under attack. Keep the light, his word, in our hearts and minds so we are prepared for anything that comes our way. Stay in community with fellow believers - there is safety in numbers.
I don't know what lion you are trying to avoid, but be cautious. He is real and is waiting to devour.
