Road Kill and Clothing

           We live on a two lane country road called New Cut Road. The first year we were here, my boys said it should have been named Road Kill Road.  After many trips up and down this country path, we’ve seen our share of expired rabbits, raccoons, squirrels and some you just had to guess on.

            I saw the strangest thing one day from my rocking chair on the front porch.  A car drove by slowly past my house and disappeared.  Then a couple of minutes later it drove by again from the other direction and stopped.  There were four guys inside.  One of them got out, picked up a dead raccoon from the side of the road, put it in the car and drove off.  I was bewildered.  What did they want with a dead raccoon?  All I could think of was maybe they wanted to skin it and have the hide.

            I don’t know why but Genesis 3:21 came to mind.  It says,

            “The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.”  Just one little inconspicuous line.  There is not even a footnote on this particular sentence.  But there is a lot in this verse if you think about it.

            At this time, an animal had never been killed.  The creator of the animals was the first one to kill and it was all because of disobedience on the part of Adam and Eve.  They ate from the tree God told them not to.  Before this, they felt no shame in their nakedness because of their innocence, but afterwards, because of their sin, they felt shame and they hid from God putting up a barrier.  God, I’m sure, felt so disappointed in them, in their bad choice, and the barrier that was put up between them.

            But notice what God did.  He killed the first animal and made clothes for them.  To me, this is such a loving act.  And, just as He always does, provided for them what they needed so they would be comfortable to come out from hiding.  Yes, they had to pay consequences, but God didn’t leave them floundering in their nakedness.

            And God doesn’t leave us either.  He did give us free will to make choices but He is always there waiting when we want to drop the barriers that we have put up ourselves.

            In the beginning God sacrificed the first animal to clothe his first two children.  Generations later, He sacrificed His son to provide the clothing of righteousness to all His children who want to exchange their sin for this wonderful covering.

            I don’t know what the guys did with the raccoon from my street.  It certainly isn’t going to clothe anyone.  But it did bring a beautiful reflection to me of our loving creator, our provider, our tailor.

God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we

Might become (clothed) in the righteousness of God.

ll Corinthians 5:21

" naming offers the gift of recognition...the naming of moments is truly a holy work."  Ann Voskamp

151.  funny scenes from my front porch
152.  coverings
153.  my Heavenly Tailor
154.  porch swings
155.  reflections
156.  piano lessons for little hands

 so.....

these big hands could enjoy playing

157.  sounds of a rain at night while in bed

158.  giggles and hugs from little girls