Stay Near
With my whole heart I have sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments. Psalm 119: 10 (KJV)
When squirrels are very young, it’s tough to identify them as such. They hardly resemble the parents at all. While living in FL, after a night of high winds, we found these helpless, little critters in the yard. They had no hair; their eyes were not open and they looked like little aliens. We later learned that they were newborn squirrels. Tracy Crump (All God’s Creatures) gives solid direction when we’re lost.
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“Tracy, come look at this!” my husband, Stan called through the kitchen window.
The tiniest squirrel I’d ever seen clung to the massive oak tree beside our driveway. Its unsteady movements told me it was not yet ready to leave the nest. We looked around for parents but saw none. Knowing we could do more harm than good if we tried to intervene, I called a local wildlife rehabilitation center.
The rehabber confirmed that it was usually better to leave babies alone. “Just observe for now. Th mama is probably close by. She’ll come take him back to the nest. If it gets close to dark and she hasn’t carried him home, put him in a box and call us.
By the time I got off the phone, our little squirrel baby had wobbled farther up the tree out of reach. Stan and I left on our evening walk, and when we returned home, the squirrel was gone. No doubt his mother had rescued him—and had probably given his ears a good boxing too.
Whenever I feel I’m not walking closely with God, when I can’t hear His voice or feel His touch, I stop and realize it’s not God who has wandered away. I have. Often the busyness of life has dragged me from His side. I think I’m doing kingdom work, but then I look up and realize I can’t see the King. The realization alone sends me running back to the Cross in prayer and Bible study. I don’t have far to go because God is looking for me, too, and we’re both glad I’m back in His nest.
But I wouldn’t blame Him a bit if He boxed my ears too.
WALK OF FAITH: The next time you feel God is far away, stop and read James 4:8 and Hebrews 10:22. Then pray for the Holy Spirit to fill you with His presence.
Loving Lord, thank You for showing us the way home when we get sidetracked in this world. Please remind us that You are always close by. AMEN.