Don't Swerve for Squirrels
By Noelle Dey
Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards, our vineyards that are in bloom. Song of Solomon 2:15
I didn’t repay evil for evil. Rather impressive, since a lady in her white Mercedes careened in front of me and then slammed on her brakes. White knuckled, I forcefully hit my brakes.
There was no traffic ahead and none behind. What in the world was she thinking?
And then, as my heart was pounding out of my chest, I saw it. A little squirrel made it safely to the other side of the highway.
I audibly heard my thoughts, “Really? You were willing to sacrifice your life and mine for a squirrel?” As I started to judge the PETS driver (People for the Ethical Treatment of Squirrels), Jesus’ words in Matthew 7:3 came alive,
Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? (NIV)
You see, I needed to tend to the plank in my eye. I swerve for squirrels on a daily basis.
God yearns for a deep relationship with me. But it’s so easy for me to get distracted by life’s clutter. I can lose perspective as I swerve to save the squirrel, yet I miss what is most important: my intimacy with God.
Some believe the Song of Solomon is an allegory of God’s love for the church. Others say it is a literal story about marriage. I use the Scripture to lead me in my intimate relationship with God as well as in my marriage.
I hear God’s invitation to draw near to Him. At the same time, He knows this crazy world we live in. In order to have true relationship, He’s telling us to put the clutter in our minds… the little foxes… the little squirrels… aside so we can focus on our relationship with Him alone,
Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards, our vineyards that are in bloom. Song of Solomon 2:15 NIV
Sacrifice the squirrels. Save the relationship.
What are the squirrels in your life? Some of mine are: my to-do list, cleaning, bill paying and replying to emails. If you’re more tech savvy than me, you might add Facebook and Twitter to the list.
How can you catch those squirrels, or temporarily put them out of sight in order to deepen your relationship with God? Can you delegate, delete or defer?
Let’s catch those squirrels and foxes and deepen our love relationship with our Lord!
Dear Heavenly Father, Thank You for inviting us into true intimacy with You. Please help us and show us practical ways to trap the squirrels and foxes in our lives so we can grow deeper in our relationships with You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen!
For more encouragement, check out Noelle’s book Transformation by Truth: 30 days to a healthy heart, mind and body.
© 2020 by Noelle Dey. All rights reserved.
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