| Luke 22:31-34
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"And the Lord said, 'Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.' But he said to Him, 'Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death.' Then He said, 'I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know me.' " |
| Luke 22:54-62 |
"Then, having arrested Him, they led Him and brought Him into the high priest's house. And Peter followed at a distance. Now when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them. And a certain servant girl, seeing him as he sat by the fire, looked intently at him and said, 'This man was also with Him.' But he denied Him saying, 'Woman, I do not know Him.' And after a little while another saw him and said, 'You also are of them.' But Peter said, 'Man, I am not!' Then after about an hour had passed, another confidently affirmed, saying,'Surely this fellow also was with Him, for he is a Galilean.' But Peter said, 'Man, I do not know what you are saying!' And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, 'Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.' Then Peter went out and wept bitterly." |
| John 21:14-17 |
"This is now the third time Jesus showed Himself to His disciples after He was raised from the dead. So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, 'Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?' He said to Him, 'Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.' He said to him again a second time, 'Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?' He said to Him, 'Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.' He said to him, 'Tend My sheep.' He said to him the third time, 'Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?' Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, 'Do you love Me?' And he said to Him, 'Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.' Jesus said to him, 'Feed My Sheep.' " |
| Story:
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On July 5, 2016 I was going to work, and saw a dead possum on the road by my driveway. I thought, "If it's still there when I come home I'll move it off the road." It was, so I got a big stick and started pushing it to the other side of the road, and with some effort got it to drop down over the hill. But while I was doing that a tiny baby came up from the mother's belly, hanging on for dear life, and crawling all the way to her neck. I wondered if there was anything that could be done for it so I called a place that helps cats and dogs, and was given Ann, a woman who rescues wild animals. |
| 4:49 pm |
The message on her phone said they were taking possums and rabbits so I gave my location and phone number. She called back right away. I asked, "Are you able to do something to help a tiny, hairless baby with its eyes not even open?" She said, "I certainly am." I gave her directions, and said I would be across the street by the mailboxes, making sure I know where the baby is. She said she would be there as soon as possible. |
| 45 minutes |
The baby had fallen off the mother as she rolled down the hill so I looked for it, watching in amazement as it dropped down under the leaves. Then a minute or so later another leaf would move, and up it popped. All the while the babe was moving down the hill, wriggling along by scent alone, to the body of its mother. Closer and closer this creature of the night came to her. Ann was not able to go down the hill after it, so I said, "I can. I'm the one who put her there. It's the least I can do." Ann gave me blue latex gloves, and I went down after the body of the mom, picked it up by the tail, and said, "Baby's hanging on to mama again! You realize it's nothing short of a miracle that I'm picking up a dead animal?" She said, "I do it all the time." She put the mom on the road and checked her pouch for babies. I saw one in there, but she said it had been crushed. I asked "Where are all the other ones?" She said, "I'm sorry to say birds come down and just snatch them up." She asked if I had thought of a name while I was waiting there, and said it was a boy. I thought, and said, "Peter. Peter Possum." I had no idea why. |
| Flyer note: |
Ann gave me flyers: "Baby Time In The Forest" says:
Remember: Mother animals and birds who come back and find their babes gone are as concerned, worried and sad as human mothers would be. |
| Skunk note: |
Years ago I saw a dead skunk on the road, and pulled over to move it off the road with a stick, but before I could get out of the car I looked through the rear view mirror, and there was another skunk that got a hold of the dead one, and was dragging it into the field for me. They care for their dead as well.
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| Horse note: |
When my girls were young we were driving down the road, and we were surprised to see a horse jumping up and down in the middle of the road to get people's attention. Looking to the side I saw the reason why. Another horse was standing still with her left rear leg between the pieces of barbed wire, and her tail stuck in it. I had the girls stay in the car and went over to her. Gently taking a hair in one hand and the wire in the other I pulled to break the hairs without her being alarmed. Then taking the wire away from her leg, and moving my body back, I said, "It's OK now. You can lift your leg." She did, and went into the field again. I went over to a nearby house to let someone know about the other horse in the road. Then I went on my way. It could have leapt back over the wires for joy of her release for all I know, but one thing is sure, that horse went to a lot of trouble to help the other.
 Note: Animals live by the instinct God instilled within them, but God gave man free will to choose, and under duress, we many times choose wrong. I have learned to see these animals in a new light. It was nothing short of amazing watching 12 graham Peter struggle to return to his mother. Just like the Biblical Peter was redeemed from his 3 falls, this tiny animal was spared from the car that killed his mother and sibling, from being eaten by birds, and after falling off her body he courageously made his way back to have one more chance at life, and to allow me to wonder at all the creatures God created. By the end of November Peter was released into the wild near Ann's, and, "Every once in a while I get a glimpse of him." She said.
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