Nuts

Sometimes lessons jump right in front of us.

I was heading down the city street this morning when suddenly a small squirrel ran out into the road. I stopped to let him cross, and as I started ahead I said aloud: “Mr. Squirrel, are you having a bad day? That’s a parking lot you crossed to; there’s no food there.”

I went to the post office drop point, deposited my bill payments and went to return home. Arriving at the same point, I stopped again as the same squirrel ran across the 4-lane road from the parking lot towards the trees and grass on the other side. I said aloud: “See. I told you so.”

I guess the lesson is, from one point of view, that when things seem sparse where we are at, it doesn’t hurt us to go out and try new things, as long as we have confidence that someone is watching out for us and making sure we won’t get run over. I believe we do, and I trust in him. From another view point, I guess we should be accepting of those who ARE venturing out in search of greener grass, even if we know they’re heading to nothing but a parking lot. We don’t have to run them down to stop them; we don’t even have to talk to them to convince them not to go; we just have to be friends (and parents) and let them learn some things on their own, and to the degree possible, keep them from harm. And when they return to safety, not be compelled to say to them: “See, I told you so.”

You can say the words to yourself as I did this morning, satisfied in the knowledge that you did a good thing; you don’t have to prove it or seek accolades. Just act in love.

I think God watches over us like that.