Suddenly, he scampered up the taller, stronger trunk in the center … and jumped.
Easter morning dawned more in sad reflection than in a glorious celebration. Lately there have been too many “why” questions … too many reasons to give up. How painless it would be to surrender to the crushes in life.
My tears mingled with the bubbles in the sink as the words of Michael W. Smith’s “Breathe” hung in the atmosphere. I longed for more of God’s life and breath in me. I had allowed recent heartbreak to steal the joy of His promises. These words jolted me into examining my desperation level.
A desperate squirrel raced up a small tree near my kitchen window. His idea was to jump to the bird feeder about six feet from the tree, exactly as he had done the day before. He didn't know the feeder had been moved two feet to prevent that possibility from happening again.
This feisty tree climber recognized something different, and I could sense his nervous calculations. I counted the times he scaled the tree, observed the distance, scampered down and then up, and switched to another limb. He prayed. (You’ve watched a spiritual squirrel stand with folded paws as if praying.) More than a dozen times, he made this trip—up and down, more frantic each time.
Then, “splash!” He landed hard on the ground, missing his goal by twelve inches. But that didn’t stop him. For an hour he repeated his obsessive climbs and jumps, each time falling short. I had to abandon this scene for church, but now more encouraged. If a squirrel can try such an impossible feat over and over, surely I can walk through my trial.
David encourages us at a time when he feared for his life. Hiding in a cave from Saul, David was not ashamed to cry out to the Lord for mercy, for refuge. I cry too. Before the Lord. Trusting it "is He who knows my way, when my spirit grows faint within me."
Dark, muddled life circumstances can blind us momentarily—blocking the sunshine, hiding the reality of God's promises, sending us to a cave prison. Our hearts may be breaking, but, like the determined squirrel, we should continually seek God through the pain.
With God’s help, keep jumping.
(Photo courtesy of pixabay.)
(For more devotions, visit Christian Devotions.)
Barb Suiter enjoys hearing God whisper in the events of everyday life and sharing biblical truths and principles from those moments. She does this through writing, teaching, and ministering to women in Lebanon, Tennessee, where her husband serves as Associate Pastor at Immanuel Baptist Church. As grandmother of thirteen, there are always stories and delights to share.