Squirrels    

We want to reach the kingdom of God, but we don't want to travel by way of death. And yet there stands Necessity saying: 'This way, please.' Do not hesitate, man, to go this way, when this is the way that God came to you. Augustine

I drove into my driveway several days ago and glanced up to the top of our backyard fence and I saw something move.  Because I just caught a glimpse of it I at first couldn’t tell what it was.  I finally figured out it was a squirrel.  Squirrels are agile creatures.  This one climbed to the top picket of the fence by the gate and there was a space between the boards of the gate and the fence so he climbed in.  He was looking at me upside down.  So he stared at me and I stared at him.  It was kind of like the old gunslinger movies where the two opponents pace off and then turn and see which one will twitch first.  The thing is this squirrel didn’t flinch at all.  I thought he was dead.  He didn’t even blink. 

It just so happened that I had my camera in the car so I took photos of him.  I even got out of the car and walked up to the fence and he still didn’t move. When I got within 3 feet of him he finally crawled out and took off.  I’m thinking God created in him a defense mechanism that kicks in when threatened.  Kind of like the opossum where they play dead thinking you will ignore them. 

I did some research and found out that the Gray Squirrel is the only species that can descend a tree head first and the life span of a Gray Squirrel is approximately six years.  It’s a different story for urban squirrels.  I didn’t know there was such a thing as an urban squirrel.  I always thought a squirrel’s a squirrel. Most urban squirrels don’t reach their first birthday.  This is not due to predators, but rather to automobiles. This made sense to me because have you ever been driving through your neighborhood and had a squirrel run in front of you.  They will run across in front of your car and be home free, and if you are watching them you'll be driving and silently saying to yourself “Don’t do it, Don't do it” and then they will back track and run back in front of your car and get hit.  It’s kind of counterproductive.

So here are my God thoughts on us and squirrels.  We can be just like them.  Not the climbing down the tree head first part but the part where we are going through life making headway in the sin free department, just like the squirrel getting safely to the other side, and then we will turn right back around and head down the sin road fully knowing that we are on a collision course.  

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, I am sometimes like the squirrel who runs to safety only to return to sin and certain death.  I need your help to stay on this narrow path that leads to You.  Help me to keep my eyes focused on you as this life is not easy and temptation can lead me back to sin.  I praise You for your many blessings on my life and Your grace and mercy.      

Scripture:   But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.  Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.  But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife.  And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will. 2 Timothy 2:20-26