A Squirrel in Traffic
“If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever.”
John 14: 15-16 NIV
Squirrels like to stay in residential areas because their depth perception is bad, since their eyes are on the side of their head. They feel safer in close areas. But they cannot make up their minds which way to go when they are in the street.
I cannot count how many times I have safely dodged those critters. They run to the left, then to the right, back to the left, and sometimes they get so confused they stop in the middle of the highway. Until they spot a buddy and head for a tree usually just in the nick of time.
When I feel overwhelmed by life’s problems I can become like a squirrel, going in different directions before pure exhaustion stops in my tracks. I think God is sending me one direction, and then something happens, and I think God wants me to go a different way. The next thing I know, I am in the middle of the street trying to make a quick-second decision.
Sometimes Satan gives us a fake signal that it is OK to cross the street, just like he did in the Garden of Eden when he encouraged Eve to take a bite of the apple. He assured her she would not die. He said it would open a world of knowledge that she would never experience if she obeyed God. She listened to the devil and got hit by the car of disobedience, taking Adam with her.
When confusion like a boulder falls on me, I have an inner circle of friends who help me out of the middle of the street through their prayers, encouragement, and direct honesty. I admit it can be painful to hear, but I love them for it.
Our depth perception is so much greater than a squirrel’s and-thanks to the written Word – we have instructions on how to safely navigate life’s challenges. Yes, there will be times when we don’t know the path God is taking us on, but unlike the squirrel, we can look up and focus on the navigator of our lives for direction. We may get a few scratches and bumps along the way, but Jesus will always be there to help us up.
Sometimes He uses faithful friends to guide us in the right direction.
Mitzie Avera
