- Communing with the wild animals around you. You have to be very careful with which animals you interact with and what you do, but appropriate actions can be very beneficial. You don’t want to begin feeding animals and having them come to depend on your food. On top of making them less able to survive in the wild, it can become quite a nuisance around the house. So, you can’t exactly go feeding the raccoons, snakes, coyotes, mice and other wild animals around you as you would the bird. You can put out a salt lick for the deer, though. Putting up a bat house, while not supporting the most beautiful of animals, will help control your mosquito population.
- Adopting a pet. With so many domesticated animals being abused or just left out, it is very generous to give one of these animals a home. This is yet another chance to care for something God has created, but with these animals it goes a little deeper. You are caring for one of God’s creatures that has been hurt or cast aside. This is not only an act for the benefit of having a pet—it is an act of charity.
Finding the Spiritual in this Practice: I’ve had many spiritual experiences with animals that I can’t really describe. They are a source of comfort. They can be challenging. They can be wonderful representatives of the nature of God. Whether you are just observing animals or taking responsibility for an animal’s well-being, you are coming into contact with a life besides yours. I recommend seeing this time as a Sabbath time. Clear your schedule and your responsibilities and us this time to connect to God and part of his creation. Take a time of prayer. Read scripture that references animals. Notice those qualities in the animal you are observing. I find that these planned or chance encounters with animals can be very spiritual.
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