We have a lot of squirrels in our neighborhood. All over town actually. We also have a dog. Misty is a cross between a Labrador Retriever and – we think – a wolf hound or some such breed. The interaction between Misty and the squirrels can be quite comical. A backyard sideshow as it were.
Misty will take off running out the back door when we let her out after she sees a squirrel in the yard. She used to run full speed directly at the back fence where the squirrel was walking along on top. But she kept misjudging the speed and, not being able to stop fast enough, body-slamming the fence. It did not take her too long to figure out that way was futile.
Yet there seems to be rules in this dog and squirrel game. There are times when Misty will lay in the backyard or scratch herself, ignoring the activity of the squirrels in the yard or on the fence. The squirrels, however, are never absolutely certain that a truce is in effect or what the rules are. Which adds a further comical element to the daily drama.
In one instance, Misty was lounging outside the back door of my office. A squirrel was moving along the bottom of the back fence hesitantly. There is a hole in a particular place in the fence which the creatures use to get into the alley. This particular squirrel was not aware of exactly where the hole was. She would creep about a foot, check the wall to no avail, look about, look at the dog, and dart another foot – repeating the process.
When she began she was about ten feet from the hole so this happened approximately nine times before she found the hole. I could imagine her thinking “he told me that hole was right here!” Even when she found the hole, she was suspicious. But she kept exploring and was soon out of sight through the hole.
As I watched the scene unfold, I thought that – like the squirrels – we sometimes act as if God is not looking so we can sneak by. Which we cannot do – he knows. Also like the squirrels and the dog, we cannot know God’s ways – even if we do know what the rules (commandments) are. If we attempt to live like Christ – as we know we should – there will be no indecision. No wondering if we will get caught. And we would not have to creep along the fence in cautious fear.
Peace be with you.
Tags: Christ, Christian, commandments, dog, God, Labrador Retriever, Misty, Religion, rules, squirrel
November 20, 2008 at 1:34 am |
How funny. In Texas we had a dog name Misty with Squirrels ruling the yard. One time the dog chased a squirrel up the tree. The squirrel freaked and jumped on Misty’s nose. It bit the dog on the nose and blood went everywhere. It was sad, but really funny.
I wonder if God ever bites us on the nose desiring a Holy reverence of His presence?