FOX DAY

Yesterday (September 17^th) was National Fox Day. Partly this is promoted by charities and others concerned that foxes and other wild animals are cruelly hunted and killed but there are also those who have concerns for the provision of our wildlife generally. One of the groups keen to promote the well-being of animals is the Woodland Trust and it is worth following them and even supporting their work.

Of course, my friend Lynn Hurry is a great champion of wildlife, especially locally in her garden and especially foxes. Photos of Foxes and their cubs are often on my blog and other postings.

Lynn alerted me yesterday to Fox Day and as I browsed the web I found a delightful story about the Fox, prayer and God. It isn’t a story original to me. I came across it on a site of the Evergreen Community in Spokane Valley, USA.

The Tale of the Prayer and the Little Fox

In Egypt, in their ancient Christian past there had once lived a monk who befriended an uneducated and simple peasant farmer. One day this peasant said to the monk, I respect God too, who created this world! Every evening I pour out a bowl of goat’s milk and leave it under a palm tree. In the evening God comes, and drinks up the milk; He’s very fond of it. There’s never once been a time when even a drop of milk is left in the bowl.

Hearing the words, the monk smiled, and kindly told his friend God does not need the bowl of milk. The peasant insisted he was right; and the monk suggested an overnight watch secretly watching to see what happens to the bowl of goat’s milk.

When night fell they hide and secretly watched from a distance. And soon in the moon light; a little fox crept up to the bowl and lapped up the milk. The peasant sighed disappointedly, and said “I can see it’s not God.” The monk explained to him God is a Spirit; and tried to comfort him; telling him every one comprehends God’s presence in their own unique way. The peasant wept and went home to his hovel. The monk also went back to his cell, and when he got there his path was blocked; he was amazed to see his cell blocked by an angel. Utterly terrified he fell to his knees, and the angel said to him with what wisdom, and education you had: you took away what wisdom the peasant had.

But there’s one thing that you don’t know; learned O man; God seeing the sincerity and true heart of this good peasant; every night sent the little fox to that palm tree to comfort him and accept his sacrifice.

For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things.
To Him be glory forever. Amen. Romans 11:36

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