March 22, 2025

I had another encounter with a raccoon the other night. I was coming back from the church board meeting and the time was close to 10 pm. Since we live in a townhouse-style condo, smaller trash trucks come in on Fridays to pick up the trash. The drivers will get off the truck and throw the trash bags into the back of the truck. So some of the neighbors will just leave the bags in the driveway instead of putting them out in trash bins; that way, they don’t have to bring them back in the bins in the morning. Anyway, as I was returning home, I noticed a raccoon trying to open one of the trash bags that were sitting outside our neighbor’s house. Curious, I stopped my car and stared at the raccoon. It moved behind a tree and peeked to see me. I thought it was going to run away immediately with the headlight beaming out of the car. Instead, it stood there for about two minutes, staring back at me, and finally decided to walk away. I have a feeling it came out again after I went into my garage, but I will never know that.

The raccoon took advantage of the situation because the trash bags were not placed in the trash bin, as it shoul have been. They were not protected; they were vulnerable. Ephesians 6:10-20 talks about the whole armor of God. In verse 11, Paul tells that we must put on the armor of God “that you may be able to stand the wiles of the devil.” The devil is always looking for its prey to attack on and will not hesitate to attack you when you are not protected. Therefore, the Bible tells us that we must be equipped with the whole armor of God. “Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.” Ephesians 6:14-18.

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