Cowgirl the Comfort Squirrel
I look for your deliverance, LORD. Genesis 49:18 (NIV)
My family often referred to squirrels as rats with bushy tails. I’m not sure I agree with that, but I have this image in my head that is hard to discard. Maureen Miller (All God’s Creatures) has done an exceptional job of helping me dump my old mindset.
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My heart was heavy with many difficult circumstances. I was so lost in thought while running an errand at the grocery store that I almost walked past them.
At the entrance of aisle two was an endcap display featuring peanuts. And there they sat with their open bag of nuts.
The elderly man in his motorized cart was a celebrity in our small town. Called Cowboy, he acted in the 1972 film Deliverance. With his long gray beard and familiar leather hat, not to mention his two small pets, he was hard to miss.
He smiled at me. “Howdy!”
“Well, hello there.” I knelt beside him. “How are you and the gang today.”
Beaming like a proud parent, Cowboy stroked the squirrel who’d moved to sit on his shoulder. “Well, I’m a-doin’ fair to middlin’, I reckon. Just been battlin’ some aches and pains.
Cowboy fed his squirrel a peanut. “Cowgirl’s sweet as ever.” Shifting to pet the small dog, he continued. “Little Man? I’m afraid he’s a mite on the crotchety side.”
Little Man cowered, nearly hidden behind Cowboy’s beard.
“Hey, wanna hold Cowgirl?”
Hold a squirrel…in a grocery store? But before I could answer, Cowgirl leapt from his shoulder to mine, then sat up nice and tall.
“She’s so friendly! Nicest squirrel I ever had.” Cowboy clucked, and Cowgirl returned to her owner. “She brings me comfort, no matter what ails me.”
We talked for a few more minutes. Before I stood, I told Cowboy I’d be praying for him. Cowboy knew his Deliverer personally. Talking to him reminded me that I, too, know the One who brings comfort in all of life’s troubles. For some, God uses comfort animals—yes, even squirrels.
Jesus. He was Cowboy’s Comforter. And He’s mine too.
Thank You, Jesus, for the gift of Your comfort and for all the many ways it’s delivered. AMEN.