Stopping Along The Way

I saw a squirrel this morning in my backyard looking for his buried treasure.  (I know because he found his post-it note).  Capturing that rare moment made me pause to just observe his twitching tail, motionless body resting on the arm of a lawn chair, big nut tightly held with his teeth, and eyes and ears piqued to any potential danger.  What a sight!!!  

These past thirty days have been a mixture of stress, sorrow, excitement, travel, prayer, study, cautious optimism, ad nauseum.   Reminds me of eating hobo stew - outside on a dark fall eve, a large kettle is placed over the open fire where all the group secretly opens their dinner contributions.  All the canned surprises are stirred and then, after a few bites, all the labels are revealed!!!  Can you say "Alpo?"  

Well, that is a vivid way of expressing my thoughts as to this past month.  The menacing part is that as I sample the cuisine, so to speak, I find myself laboring over things beyond my control  It has been said that seventy-five percent of our fears never come to pass and are often unfounded.  The lesson from the squirrel is that the Lord provided his meal, watched over his habitat, gave him a covering to keep him warm, and the sensitivity to be aware of his surroundings.  He was just stopping along the way as God gave him sense enough to do.  

Suddenly, I stopped all my busyness for some serious time to consider all the Lord does for me -- friends and family who support and give counsel/comfort to me in every way (may I never take them for granted), prayers answered (may I not fail to acknowledge His graciousness and mercy), a ministry that fulfills my longing (may I always seek His will), and a constant light through my journey to remain aware of my "surroundings" (may His Word and Spirit always be reverenced).  

Stopping along the way -- my sojourn is covered with His omniscient surety that I will persevere and, one day, I will also find my "post-it note" that reveals the ultimate treasure is found in Christ!!