You Can Trade Your Frustrations; Reflections on Lessons from a Squirrel

From my deck I enjoy watching the squirrels joyfully at play in the back yard.  I think they are so cute. Taking a break while watching them helps me unwind. There are many fun observations one can make about squirrels. Gracefully scampering and leaping from branch to branch, they make me think of the grace and poise of the ballerina. Obviously from an innate understanding, and without any cues, squirrels just have an accurate estimation of measuring distance and awareness of perception.  And they know how, when and where to hide from predators.  God created them that way.

What more are we to him? Squirrels cannot praise him. Squirrels cannot worship him. Yet, God designed them to survive. He provides for them day by day. He put joy and play inside of them. What more has he placed inside of us, the ones who are made in the image of him?

I believe we sometimes short-change ourselves. We go through life’s perplexities with the mindset that we are carrying this big brown bag of burdens on our backs.  I’ve never seen a squirrel sitting under a tree sulking about not finding an acorn. Nor have I’ve ever observed one sinking in despair.  No, they make the decision to hunt for their provision and protection.

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