Photo and Commentary ©2023 by Shelley Schurch
Sunday, October 1, 2023
You may not be able to see him clearly, because this little squirrel was scampering swiftly across the trail, peanut clenched in mouth, and so is a bit blurry.
We spied him last Monday as we paused on our morning walk to watch for blue jays, hummingbirds, and squirrels in our neighbor’s backyard wildlife sanctuary. He made several trips, taking a peanut and running along the fence top, leaping into a tree, scuttling down its trunk, crossing the trail, and disappearing into the fenced reservoir to tuck away his treasure somewhere. Then back in a few minutes to retrace his path and grab another peanut. We saw similar forays a day later.
He was fun to watch, and my heart was with him. I, too, like to store up necessities. I remember trips to the town sawmill when I was a child, helping my father glean wood scraps to take home and pile up in a big heap in the basement. We’d burn the wood in a little pot-bellied stove nearby and it would help dry the laundry we hung on our indoor lines. And when the power went out during a storm my mother would heat up soup on the stove top. These are truly warm memories.
I don’t think I’ve ever been scared of scarcity, of running out of what we needed. I could see the wood in the basement and the rows of canned goods on our back porch shelves, and the frozen food tucked away in the town storage locker – including blueberries we’d picked by the gallon on warm summer days.
I always looked upon our provisions with a satisfied gaze. It gave me a contented feeling to know we had stocked up and were ready for winter. We had “enough on hand.”
So I cheer on that little squirrel, as he bustles about preparing for months to come. I was happy to see this definition of “to squirrel away” in the Merriam-Webster online dictionary:
To put (something) in a safe or secret place especially so that it can be kept for future use.
Does this definition of “to squirrel away” remind you of a Bible verse? Here’s what came to my mind when I read it:
Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You. (Psalm 119:11 NKJV)
That’s one excellent reason for squirreling away Scripture, and I can think of others, such as being able to share encouraging verses with someone in need of a good word from the Good Book, and to encourage my own heart when it becomes weary or worried.
When we shared our enjoyment of the squirrel’s preparations with the backyard sanctuary’s owner, she chuckled. She said, “He’s a young one. He doesn’t know that I’ll be providing food all winter for him and the others.”
She must have a great fondness for the wildlife that frequent her feeders and birdhouses and apple and plum trees, to provide for them year-round as she does – just as God, in His great fondness for us, faithfully provides for all our needs.
As we walk into this brand-new week, and a brand-new month, we can choose what we want to squirrel away for future use – Scripture passages, poems, things that tickle our funny bones, memories of good times and God times, and more.
In this squirreling away season may you find deep contentment in all He’s providing for you.