What a Deer Taught Me About Trusting God in Difficult Times

Sometimes God whispers His biggest reminders in the most ordinary moments.

An Ordinary Summer Evening

This was one of those good days.

It was sunny and hot. Every meal hit the spot. The grandkids got along, and their laughter was splashed about as freely as the pool water. My mind wasn’t interrupted by the feelings of fear, uneasy stomach, or dread of the future that have plagued me on and off for the past couple of years—and have been switched to “on” again over the last few months. 

And then, in the evening, as the boys frolicked in the water for at least the third time that day—and none too quietly, I might add—a beautiful doe wandered up to graze on a freshly fallen tree. We had even heard it fall that morning.

All evening, she ate. She would leave and then return again for more.

She seemed unbothered by the laughter and loud outbursts. Perhaps she knew they were safely behind a fence. I don’t know. But she just kept on eating. For whatever reason, she felt safe enough—or maybe hungry enough—to take the risk and trust us.

The Kind of Peace I Long For

As I walked back to the house to grab my camera, with the sound of the boys playing behind me and the image of the unbothered deer in my mind, I thought, “That must be what true peace and complete trust in God feel like.“

The certainty of God’s faithful provision.

Being sure that if this is where He has you, even when uncertainty is all around, you are safely encompassed by His protective shield.

And here I am, made in God’s own image, cared for even more than the sparrows, the lilies, and even this gorgeous deer—eyes shut tight, elbows locked, bracing for the impact of life’s next blow or disappointment.

Maybe Peace Isn’t Found in Certainty

But then He reminds me:

I will take what you see as fallen and broken and, in any season or circumstance, feed you, clothe you, shelter you, and protect you. 

Over the last several years, I’ve learned that trusting God in difficult times doesn’t mean believing that nothing hard will happen. Life has taught me better than that.

It means trusting that whatever does come, I won’t meet it alone—and that the God who has provided for me before will still be God when I get there. 

Because peace isn’t found in knowing that nothing else will fall.

It’s more often found in trusting that, when it does, God can use even the fallen things to provide exactly what we need.

And, like that beautiful doe, simply trust that the One who led me here already knows what I need–even better than I do.

Maybe that’s the most challenging lesson in trust here—quietly feeding on today’s provision instead of fearing tomorrow’s uncertainty.

So perhaps I can loosen my grip. Unlock my elbows. Open my eyes.

“Look at the birds of the air… your heavenly Father feeds them… Are you not of more value than they?”

—Matthew 6:26

---

If you’re struggling to trust God in difficult times you might also like:

Planning For Hope