“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”               James 4:7-8

Each Spring brings the promise of warmer days and later sunsets, and there is nothing quite like seeing the first vibrant colors of this season with a little help from those April showers. We love this time of year and enjoy being out in our yard.

With that being said, my husband and I have spent a good deal of time (and money) – little by little – planting and adding flowering perennials along with some evergreen trees and shrubs to the landscape of our home since we moved here five years ago. It has taken us a while to find the right combination of plants in the best spots around the yard. 

In doing this, we have encountered a few challenges along the way. Two primary obstacles have been 1) the soil, which is hard clay and 2) the wildlife. Until now, we have always lived in a subdivision in a metro area. Here we are more remote – on purpose. There are a lot of benefits to being 20 minutes from just about everything.

When we picked the location for what we consider our retirement homestead, we selected this property because it is a spacious, wooded lot in the foothills of the beautiful North Georgia Mountains and home to a plethora of wildlife including a variety of song birds, turkey, fox, hogs, deer, bear, and an occasional bobcat. We love animals and never tire of looking for and watching to see who stops by on any given day. 

Considering our love for this more rural area and our wildlife neighbors, we did not anticipate that one of these furry friends would be one of our biggest problems – Oh, Deer! We underestimated the love the deer would have for some of our leafy additions to the property. It didn’t take long though to figure out what they like. First, they ate the hosta. Then, the hydrangeas. Next, the roses and the clematis. 

Oh, Deer …

Last year, we thought we outsmarted them as I researched deer resistant plants prior to choosing the replacements for my front flower bed. Proudly, I placed my hardy, floral finds in a carefully planned pattern for my husband to plant. All deer resistant … until they weren’t.

Oh, Deer …

Before my black-eyed susan could bloom, they were nibbled to nubs. Same with the some of the cone flower, roses, and yes – again, the hydrangeas (my favorite). 

I’m not giving in – the battle continues. We installed motion sensor lights near the plants which worked … until it didn’t. Moved all the hydrangeas to the back yard in the fence which worked … for the hydrangeas, but now the deer ate the lantana instead. They never eaten the lantana … until they do.

Oh, Deer …

So much for the deer resistant vegetation. I had to remind myself that these plants are deer “resistant” not deer “proof”!

Of course, there is a bigger lesson here. Turns out I’m a lot like those plants. As a Christian I resist the devil … until I don’t.  Somehow sin creeps back into my life – usually when I least expect it. If I’m lucky, the devil is only nipping at my heels and I quickly notice what’s happening, so I get myself back on track through intentional prayer and Bible study. There are times I neglect my spiritual needs for far too long and my faith looks like those poor plants after the deer graze – shredded, trampled, nibbled to the nub. 

Oh, Dear!

Just as I’ve learned that deer resistant doesn’t mean deer proof, being a Christian doesn’t make me devil proof – I am just devil resistant. 

Take the advice found in James chapter 4 and draw near to God so He will be near to you making you much more devil resistant. Even when you resist temptation, you can stumble, so remember to put on the full armor of God.

“Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”      Ephesians 6:13-17