Squirrely Squirrel Faith

     I know the term squirrely squirrel is redundant, but I can’t think of any other way to describe what I saw today. The term squirrely is often used to describe those who are acting erratic, out-of-the-norm, or illogical.  Their reaction to a predicament makes it appear far more chaotic than it really is.  Squirrely behavior makes others act squirrely.  

     I’m not sure when the use of squirrely began, but I’m pretty sure it was popularized some time after the advent of the automobile. Once roads were paved near trees, squirrels have been faced with the challenge of crossing them. They do this fairly well when no cars are coming, even though they have a disturbing tendency to stop in the middle of road to sit up and look around.  When a car is driving towards a squirrel, something happens to the squirrel’s brain.  This furry little animal that makes a thousand choices a day (where to go, what to eat, who to hang with, how to look cute) becomes incapable of making a decision. Or, maybe the problem is that they make too many decisions – go, stay, stop, look, go back, go forward, stay, turn, go!  If they were not blessed with hyper speed and supernatural reflexes, there would be dead squirrels all over American roads.  I have seen squirrels dart back and forth for so long that once that car arrives all they can do is convulse into the air and pray for a miracle.  Maybe that is what they are doing when they have their hands up to their faces.  We have always thought that they are just turning the acorn around to chew on it, but they could be praying, Help me get across roads today!

     The squirrel I saw today was squirrely because his behavior was not herky-jerky like every other squirrel I’ve seen. He was calm. I noticed him sitting on the shoulder about six feet from the pavement.  I prepared to hit my breaks for the inevitable back-and-forth show, but was shocked to see him smoothly run all the way across the road without stopping.  He never hesitated, never paused, and never looked around.  He just scampered straight across.  In the all the years I have been encountering squirrels on the road, I have never approached one without coming close to a heart attack trying to avoid hitting it.  This squirrel’s behavior was perfectly logical, thought-out, and consistent with the situation – quite squirrely for a squirrel. 

      A squirrely believer, on the other hand, is fearful, uncertain and frantic -- behavior inconsistent with the presence of God’s spirit. We are equipped by God to be at peace, to walk in faith, and to overcome fear.  We are to have confidence that all things work together for good to them who love God, even as we walk on paths found in the valley of the shadow of death. To be paralyzed with fear, indecisive or panicky because of situations out of our control is actually against the nature of spirit-filled believers.  Bouncing back and forth between faith and fear is squirrely, yet common among people of faith.  We are not calm, peaceful, confident, faith-filled and purposeful.  We are reactionary and usually in distress. We should be like the squirrely squirrel I saw today -- different from those who quiver in fear or overcome by anxiety.  

Col. 3:15-16  "Let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord."