On the Path to Faith

A Nature Story May 18, 2011

This morning, when I walked my dog, I saw a robin chasing a squirrel. Without doubt, the squirrel must have tried to get into the robin’s nest and steal (and then devour) an egg or a hatchling. The robin was smaller than the squirrel, but s/he must have chased him down the tree and beyond, for when I spotted them, s/he kept chasing the intruder over somebody’s lawn.

Amazing.

You’d think the squirrel could have just swatted the bird either with its paw (and they do have long claws) or with a flick of its tail.
Not so: it ran for dear life, trying to take cover here and there under a bush, only to be found out and chased along again by the relentless robin.

I don’t know why this scene made me think of our world today….

In the human world, the devil comes in all forms, sometimes looking like that cute person that most people like to watch and hang out with, just like the cute, fuzzy squirrel. But then, when no one watches, he tries to get into our homes (nests) and take our offspring, to devour them.
We fight back, of course.
But do we fight enough?
Do we chase him not only out of the nest, or down the tree, but all over the yard and beyond?
Don’t we have a tendency to go back home and consider that “all is well again”, when in fact the devil hides under a nearby bush, waiting for the next opportunity to get our kids.

I know, these reflections do not give justice to the squirrel, this little animal that has nothing to do with the devil. And so I apologize to the squirrel.

However, I will keep my observations in mind, and will make greater efforts to keep the devil out of my home, in any which form he might have tried to enter.
God helps us standing guard over our children. In this, we have a great advantage over the robins. But we must ask, must pray for our children’s safety, and must not let the devil into our homes.

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