Life Lessons From A Squirrel

 

It was Squirrel Appreciation Day. Mom was the first downstairs that morning and found someone who didn’t belong sitting on this ceramic hippo we have in the living room. A squirrel, ironically. Now, we’ve had mice in our house for as long as I can remember, just comes with living in an old farmhouse. We tend to get a bat or two in august and send them back outside where they belong. I don’t remember ever having a squirrel, though. So, as usual when we have an unwanted critter in the house, I found myself praying for God to send this squirrel back outside where it belongs.

The next morning I found it jumping around the kitchen table. It had eaten the bait out of the have a heart trap (without setting it off) and was looking for more food. Later it tried to get out a window but was so impatient we couldn’t get it open without scaring it off. Then I was cutting apples to make an apple pie and I see its little head pop up on the shelf, smelling the yummy apples. It found the apple in the trap and once again scampered off with it without it closing. After reengineering the trap so it would actually close, we did finally catch it, but as dad went to take it outside it managed to squeeze back out of the flimsy cage. I found myself talking to the rascally little critter, “don’t you realize we’re trying to help you?” I’d ask, “don’t you want to go back outside where you belong?” And then, as usual when something crazy like this happens in my life, I realized people act just like this squirrel.

God created squirrels to live outside. They eat nuts and fruit and live in trees. They are meant to live happy, healthy, little squirrel lives. They were never meant to live inside with humans. Never supposed to live off peanut butter they manage to chew the cover off of or resort to chewing on things like candy or processed food like uncivilized mice. It isn’t good for them. And it isn’t good for them to live in hiding, they’re meant to scamper and play with their little squirrel friends, leaving all those snowy footprints I see circling around the backyard. At first this squirrel of ours seemed to want to go outside, trying to get out the window, it knew it didn’t belong here. But the longer it stayed the more it seemed to be content just living up on our kitchen shelf. It became comfortable with something it was never created to be comfortable with. And it was scared of the very people who were trying to help it get back where it belonged.

In much the same way, people drift from who and where they’re supposed to be. God created us with a purpose. He gave us a body, mind, and soul to take care of in order to fulfil that purpose. But what happens when we get ourselves stuck somewhere we don’t belong? Like this squirrel in the house? Sometimes we might get ourselves out right away, we know it’s wrong and correct the situation immediately. Or sometimes it feels wrong at first, but the more time we spend in the situation, the less wrong it feels. That sharp pang of our God given conscience telling us to get out eventually dulls to an insignificant whisper.

All too often I watch people, and myself, get more and more comfortable being where we don’t belong. Eating food we shouldn’t be, exposing our minds to things we should stay away from, being in relationships that pull us away from God instead of bringing us towards Him, living in situations we should’ve never gotten into in the first place, getting addicted to things that aren’t healthy for our minds, bodies, or souls. And the more we get comfortable with those things, the more we push away God and the very people who just want to help. The more comfortable we become with what’s wrong, the more what’s right starts to feel wrong and uncomfortable.

God created us to be happy and healthy people. He wants us to have healthy minds that can think and create, healthy bodies to be his hands and feet, and healthy souls to keep Him in the middle of it. He doesn’t want us in situations He didn’t create us for. He doesn’t want us to become comfortable with things He never intended for us. And He certainly never meant for us to try to fight the temptation of these things alone. He puts people in our lives to steer us in the right direction and help us out of the bad situations we’ve become all too comfortable with.

Eventually we did finally catch that squirrel and send it back outside where it belongs. It took a lot of time and patience, but we did succeed. And coming back to where we belong, or helping someone we love find their way back, might take some time and patience too. Will you take a step back with me and make sure we’re where God says we belong? You might just find you’re a squirrel stuck in a house you were never meant to be in.