Chapter 8 – Glimmer of Hope

Under God’s Shadow and Wings

Psalm 91:1-4

“He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the Shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in Him will I trust.  Surely He shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with His feathers, and under His wings shalt thou trust: His truth shall be thy shield and buckler.”

Isaiah 43:18-20

“Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.  Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it?  I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.  The beast of the field shall honour me, the dragons and the owls: because I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to My people, My chosen.”

The structure and routine of my life was like a steel frame.  Things had to be done and the deadlines kept coming.  Kaiyah and I increased our walk time as we continued our journey of trust building and emotional processing.  I found her gentle humble demeanor comforting as we were both, in our own way, sorting things out with the Silent Listener of our every conversation, verbally and in our hearts. 

Kaiyah Takota and I seemed to share a genuine appreciation for the Sonoran desert. For me the desert of the southwest has been a place of solace and an exceptional testimony of absolute dependence and trust in God.  Although it may have intense heat at times and periods of drought, when it does rain, it springs forth with extraordinary color and life. The soft breezes that come in the early morning or the cool of the evening carry earthy scents of life that is strewn about and hidden in its arid beauty. 

Wildlife was more abundant then, though mostly unseen by the sprawl of urban and suburban expansions.  Being an avid whistler and bird lover, both traits I shared with my dad, I often made my share of tunes and listened to the feathered responses as Kaiyah and I did our mission hikes.  At that time it wasn’t uncommon hearing or seeing a cardinal family, my buddy the stunning phainopepla who used to follow me, an endless delight of Gambel’s Quail, grackles, cactus wrens, great-horned owls, roadrunners, woodpeckers, all kinds of small birds and raptors who nested nearby.  Kaiyah seemed to like the whistles and before long I had given her her own special tune. It sounded like "hoo-hoo-whiiiiiiit."  The whistle would perk her ears a little, being higher in tone. I recalled that huskies are canines who liked to work and so I began a little training, for both of us.  Owners of dog sled teams often provide a specific whistle tune to signal the lead dog and rally the “troops”.  That little whistle became our first signal.

It was a bit awkward at first.  I had to find a way to tie the signal to a cue to do something.  She was still dealing with complexities and so was I so we started very slow.  More or less I would whistle, she would hear it, and be like, “ok”, and that was it.  She still kept her ears more to the side and her tail was still tucked under but at least there was recognition.  It was a start.

The first time I saw her really quicken in her body language with curious joy was the morning we spotted a coyote along one of the trails.  It was quiet that morning with the sky just beginning to come into a soft gray blue when I peripherally spotted movement by a large creosote bush just at the trail bend to the south of our mission hike.  We both stood very still. I squatted low to not intimidate the animal and then very gingerly on its paws, a gorgeous coyote stepped out of hiding onto the trail.  I didn’t know what to expect as some dogs are very aggressive with them. It was an unreal moment as the coyote seemed interested in Kaiyah and looked very intently at her.  The morning rays had cast warm glows on them and our surroundings.  I watched her body language go from sagged lowly posture to ears pointed straight up.  Her tail curled to the loveliest “C” and she sat down at full attention. Not a whimper, not a bark, not one hair standing on edge, she had a quiet excitement. Her eyes were full of life and they were communicating intently.  She was absolutely beautiful and so was the coyote. 

It was an amazing moment.  Before long the coyote had to keep moving and stealthily strode away looking back at her with a connection that was very real and seemed valued by both of them.  Kaiyah watched closely as the coyote faded into the desert like a mirage and looked up at me.  I had tears in my eyes when I softly hugged her. I told her how beautiful she and the moment we shared were.  I thanked the Lord right then and there for the gift He had just given us in that special rendezvous and for our new friend.  Thankfully it would be one of many to come.

Kaiyah and I were both walking a little lighter in our step as we eventually made our way back home with a new glimmer of hope in our eyes.  And it was also an encounter that my Heavenly Father knew would touch my mom in the heaviness of her grief.

The wild was “calling” Kaiyah and she needed to hear it, and so did I. The coyote was apparently also on a “mission” that day. There is a profound healing beauty being out from under the heavy influences of man and man’s world.  The Monarch of the Universe is Sovereign over all His Creation and yet the taint of things contrary to Him and His Ways are all around us including suffering.  I found consolation embracing the reminder that He had just coordinated. No matter where we are He will Help us find everything we need. When we dwell in Him we will abide under the Shadow of the Almighty.  We can snuggle under His Wings finding safety to rest, to heal, learning to live, or to live again under His attentive and watchful care when things go off the rails; when they don’t seem to be going anywhere or we are just chugging along.  How glorious it is that in just a fraction of time, and often in the most unexpected ways, He can change everything or begin a new thing. He really cares for all His Creation.  That encounter in my life was another precious keepsake that God is sincerely the One Who Knows what we need, when we need it, where we need it and how we need it…He is Most Beautiful!

….Until we meet again….