On Storing Up Treasures and Being Born Blind
- ruthiefix
- Sep 4, 2023
- 3 min read
Things can get a little big "squirrelly" in life. One of the Merriam-Webster online definitions for this term is Odd/Eccentric – lacking stability or control. Can you relate? I certainly can! And, how about this guy? He would probably agree, right?
Along those lines, people often say things like...
"That's CRAZY!" or "They're driving me NUTS!"
Perhaps I'm a little nutty myself and this is why I'm so fascinated with photographing squirrels. Or perhaps they're so stinking CUTE, and I'm just easily amused. It's probably a little bit of both.
Either way, in looking up fun facts about squirrels on The Wildlife Informer, I realized that, surprisingly, we have a few more things in common with our furry, fluffy-tailed friends than I thought. Did you know that squirrels (and people)...
...bulk up to stay warm in the winter. Can't say I don't resemble that! Although I've been known to add a few lbs. during the summer as well, so (for me) it's not really as much about the warmth as it is those dreaded chocolate covered almonds!
... pretend to hide food. Ha. I don't just pretend. I actually DO hide food. My kids have some particularly sticky fingers when it comes to eating my stash of goodies in the fridge. So, if you're ever at my house and find a chocolate pot-de-creme in the vegetable drawer tucked stealthily underneath the lettuce, you'll understand. Heck, if you're a mom, I'm sure you have your own stash as well.
... lose their "treasure" or buried foods to predators. At this point I shift my view of squirrels to my view of mankind, which happens to come from the Bible. Holy Scripture. God-breathed. Jesus states in Matthew 6:20 "But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal." Obviously, He wasn't talking to squirrels at the time but to men and women. In my opinion, this fun fact about squirrels is a great reminder to be mindful that whatever treasures we "bury" here are vulnerable to thieves and destruction. We would be wise to not be so "squirrelly" (i.e. lacking stability) if we would focus on our Heavenly treasures and store up for an eternal future, where treasures abound.
...are born blind. Wait? What?! "Not all humans are born blind," you might say. You also might be thinking, "Girl, you really are nuts!" Just hear me out. If we once again take a Biblical stance, the truth is we are ALL born blind. You've heard some people say they "turned a blind eye" to something or someone. Basically, the essence of the meaning behind this phrase is that the sighted person refused to see. They had eyes to see but didn't. Similarly, in Scripture we find verses like Ezekiel 12:2, “Son of man, you dwell in the midst of a rebellious house, who have eyes to see, but see not, who have ears to hear, but hear not, for they are a rebellious house.” The eyes mentioned here are spiritual, and our spiritual condition from birth is as king David stated in Psalm 51:5 “Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.” Again, in Isaiah 9:2, the prophet Isaiah speaks about a blind people walking in darkness who have now seen a great light [hint: We now know he was referring to JESUS in the New Testament]! “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.” Dear reader, If we acknowledge that we are born blind to the things of God yet wish to see clearly His mercy and great grace (like the blind man Jesus healed in John 9), let us run to Him and humbly petition Him, along with the Psalmist in Psalm 119:18, “Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.”
And, guess what? The cares of this world, though they will continue, shall be a little less nutty, and our quest to climb to proverbial heights will be a little more fruitful from an eternal perspective. Even if we remain just a teensy bit "squirrelly."
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