Little Foxes ~ by Shirley Corder

Catch the foxes, the little foxes, before they ruin our vineyard in bloom.

Song of Songs 2:15 GNB

In our younger days my husband and I used to climb the famous Table Mountain in Cape Town.

One day we decided to try out a new trail. All went well in the beginning until we came to a fork in the path. Should we go left, or right? Either way would presumably get us to the top, so we went left. 

Turned out we should have gone right.

We hadn't gone all that far when we realized we were climbing the other side of the gorge to what we'd intended. Still, it seemed a little thing. We were still going up, so what did it matter? We persevered.

Several hours later we found ourselves trapped half way up the mountain, not able to continue, but unable to turn back. To top it all, clouds were closing in and it looked like rain. My boyfriend, as he was then, left me sitting on a ledge while he tried out various possibilities. Eventually he found a way, difficult but possible. By the time we eventually reached the top of the mountain, it was night. We were exhausted, frightened, and lost.  

That wrong turn early in the climb was only a small mistake. But it nearly cost us our lives.

The writer of Song of Songs knew that if the little foxes were not caught, they would ruin the beautiful vineyard. How often I make unwise decisions. Sometimes, because they are just small slips, I press on, thinking I can sort it out as I go along.

But little mistakes ignored tend to grow into big problems. 

I need to stop as soon as I recognize that I’m on the wrong path and ask God to show me how to get back on the correct track.

Our world seems to be in a political turmoil at the moment. 

In Britain, some who made the seemingly small decision to leave the EU are now wishing they could change their vote, as they see the fallout, how it's affecting the global economy and so many other situations. Families are divided over the way family members voted and conflict abounds. But it was only a small decision, surely? How can one vote make such a difference?

In America, the Presidential Race is on, and at this point it looks as if the results are between two unlikely candidates. Shortly, voters will go to the poll to make a small cross to choose the candidate of their choice. Each person has only one vote. Surely, their decision is a small one? I don't need to tell you the possible fallout if the wrong person ends up in the White House.

In South Africa, an ill-informed decision made by our president, seemingly a small one, threw the world economy into chaos and suddenly the country faced the possibility of being downgraded to "junk status" in the political arena. All because one person took one wrong decision. 

As Christians, let us become more aware of the "little foxes" in our lives and countries. Let us pray for wisdom before we make decisions or cast votes. They may be "little foxes" but they have the power to destroy entire vineyards. 

Tweet: Be careful of little foxes! ICFW:  http://ctt.ec/5e5Wl+

SHIRLEY CORDER lives on the coast in South Africa with her husband, Rob. Her book, Strength Renewed: Meditations for your Journey through Breast Cancer contains 90 meditations based on her time in the cancer valley.

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Please visit Shirley through ShirleyCorder.com, where she encourages writers, or at  RiseAndSoar.com, where she encourages those in the cancer valley. You can also meet with her on Twitter or FaceBook.