Skip The Squirrel

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:6-7

We have all seen that pitiful squirrel that darts in and out of traffic. Let’s call him, “Skip”. Skip makes his way half way into our lane, only to freeze in indecision. Meanwhile, we are still barreling our way toward him in our car. We don’t want to hit him, but we also don’t know if he will continue to make his way across the road, stand there frozen or go back.

We see that a lot out here in the country. In our neck of the woods, traffic congestion is when we see more than two cars in a minute. On country roads, there is usually ample time to cross a road safely. Yet, it isn’t uncommon to see evidence on the side of the road of one of our furry friends who didn’t quite make it.  Why is that?

Just imagine our little squirrel friend thinks he wants to cross the street, but he isn’t sure. Standing at the side of the road contemplating his options, he spots our car approaching in the distance. His blood pressure and anxiety begin to rise. “Should I go?! Should I or shouldn’t I?! I don’t know!” He’s frantic and thinks, “If I’m going to go, I’d better hurry and go now! Here’s my chance! I may never get across if I don’t do it now!” 

So, depending his mood, his anxiety level and how much coffee he’s had (I know someone will relate to this), he may or may not embark on a heart-thumping 10 seconds of sheer terror and adrenaline fraught with danger. Skip makes it safely across every single time until...

I’m a squirrel. Are you? Thoughts and plans come to mind and when I see the current window of opportunity closing, I panic. I think I want to go that direction, but I’m not certain. The anxiety of the rapidly closing window of opportunity pressures me into making a rash decision. Sometimes the decision, by the grace of God, turns out. Other times — not so much. Scripture says, “An indecisive man is unstable in all his ways.” – James 1:8 

“Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!” – Psalm 27:14

Scripture tells us to wait on God. He loves it when we do! Scripture says, “The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.” – Lamentations 3:25. We are to seek His counsel and His will for our lives and our decisions. Why would we want to go it alone when we have access to the source of all wisdom and the one whose eyes see all of eternity? We can trust that He loves us and wants the best for us. Why not trust Him to help us to make the best decision? 

Beloved, if you are a squirrel like me, we are wise to remember that when we make rash decisions out of anxiety, we are likely to be knocked flat. We need to wait on God. Often He will speak right after the car passes. Then we can take our time and safely cross the road, because another car won’t be coming for another ten minutes!

Heavenly Father, I lift Your precious child reading this. We tend to succumb to pressure and allow anxiety to get the best of us. When we do, our decisions suffer and we make messes out of our lives. Remind us to put on Your whole armor to stand against the wiles of the enemy (Eph 6:10-18). Remind us to take our thoughts captive (2 Cor 10:5) and to offer thanksgiving along with our prayers and requests before Your throne. Calm our anxious hearts, Lord. Teach us to be still and know that You are God (Ps 46:10).  May we seek You and wait upon Your timing and counsel, and regain our peace. In Jesus Name ❤️

Dear friend, if you are anxious, I encourage you to wait on God. His counsel is sure and His timing is perfect. His best for you is worth waiting for.  And while waiting to cross that road, why not worship along the roadside? “Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the Lord!” – Psalm 31:24 💡

If you have been encouraged or challenged, please repost and further His kingdom!
V

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