The Tale of Squirrel

by A.M. Novoa

Once upon a time there was a baby squirrel. The baby squirrel had lost its way and could not find its squirrel family. A new family of chip monks found the baby squirrel and let it live in their home. The new family was really busy and really didn’t have a lot of time to spend with the squirrel, but he was happy just to have a place to live and would do just about anything to help the chip monks. He was pretty different and kind of stood out but squirrel tried real hard to fit in and be like the chip monks. The chip monks had a lot of good information that they shared with squirrel and week after week squirrel would sit and try to learn from the chip monks, but he was different and he knew that. Squirrel looked around and saw that this chip monk house was probably the best chip monk house around. However, squirrel still really longed to fit in and feel like he belonged.

One day the squirrel’s new family announced that they were moving and not taking the squirrel with them. He was very sad and confused. He thought he was part of the family. They didn’t treat him real nice sometimes or spend a lot of time with him, but he was happy just to be a part of the group. He could live with that and did, but now they were leaving him and going away and he didn’t know what to do! At first he was really upset and begged to go with them. He asked them to please not leave him, but they said they had to go, he could not come with them and out the door they went. He knew that the chip monks were not perfect, but he never expected to be abandoned like that.

Squirrel was alone again. There was silence and he became very sad sitting in the chip monk house all by himself. For a while he just sat there stunned and lonely. He still couldn’t believe they had just left him like that. Soon another chip monk family came knocking at the door. "Could we live here?" they asked. "Sure", said squirrel. "Could I be part of your family?" squirrel inquired. "Ok" they said. Squirrel was really excited and thought maybe these new chip monks would accept and love him. Some of them seemed pretty nice but they kept their distance from him, him being a squirrel and all.

So it began again. Squirrel began to try hard to fit and be accepted by the new chip monk family. He swept the floors. He took care of their baby chip monks. He cooked for them and cleaned up after them. When they injured themselves he’d care for their injuries. However, the chip monks still treated Squirrel as if he was too different and wouldn’t include him in their fun and games. They didn’t really talk to him or spend time with him, although they didn’t mind him doing their chores for them. Squirrel just kept trying to have a good attitude and do what he was told.
One day Squirrel tripped and fell and hurt his tail very badly. The chip monks showed a bit of concern but then immediately asked him if he’d mind watching the baby chip monks for them. They said he could do it because he didn’t need a tail to clean up after their babies. Squirrel reluctantly agreed even though he was in pain. Squirrel just wanted them to love him so badly. Poor squirrel, he was hurting, but he struggled to do what they asked and tried hard not to complain. Week after week it became more and more difficult to do what they asked. The pain in his tail really bothered him, but so did his heart. His heart was breaking now. He went to the head chip monk and told him about his tail and his broken heart and asked could he please help him. The head chip monk said he’d get back to him on that, but he never did. Maybe chip monks just don’t know how to love squirrels he thought.

At this point Squirrel decided to leave the chip monk house. He wasn’t a chip monk after all and he thought that maybe he’d never get these chip monks to think much of him. All the work and dedication in the world just didn’t seem to make much of a difference and they seemed to not notice his ailing tail. It seemed like they just pretended not to see the pain he was in and when he tried to tell them they'd change the subject or walk away ignoring him. They acted like they were too busy to help him. He didn’t want to be alone and he truly loved the chip monks but to continue to do the work of the chip monks was just too painful and he was growing very tired. He became angry for a while, but he forgave the chip monks, because they are chip monks and he couldn’t expect them to accept his squirrelishness.

Squirrel then moved on and left the chip monk house. It was the right thing to do. Squirrel still gets sad sometimes about it though, because he really did love those chip monks. The chip monks are kind to squirrel when they seem him and still don't understand why he needed to leave the chip monk house. He can't seem to explain it to them very well either.

Squirrel began to realize that he needed to be with other squirrels. He realized that he needed to be among squirrels that loved him exactly for who he is, just a simple squirrel with a beat up tail and a heart that is still healing.

I hope that Squirrel can find a home one day.

Squirrel=The Broken, Lonely, Unpopular, Unattractive and the Lost

House of Chip monks=Religious Systems

House of Squirrels=The Body of Christ

Matthew 25:35-40

For I hungered, and ye gave Me meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave Me drink; I was a stranger, and ye took Me in; naked, and ye clothed Me; I was sick, and ye visited Me; I was in prison, and ye came unto Me.' Then shall the righteous answer Him, saying, `Lord, when saw we Thee hungering and fed Thee, or thirsty and gave Thee drink. When saw we Thee a stranger and took Thee in, or naked and clothed Thee? Or when saw we Thee sick, or in prison, and came unto Thee?' And the King shall answer and say unto them, `Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me.'

Small Potatoes

I am the mom of a special needs child. When people hear that they think he might be in a wheel chair or have autism or downs syndrome. When they see my son they think they are are looking at a normal child. He looks normal, speaks normal, walks normal etc. Then they look at me like I am from another planet or something.

Our youngest son is adopted. He was living in severe neglect with a birth mom who was hooked on Meth. As a result my son has Reactive Attachment Disorder, or RAD as it is known. His disability has nothing to do with intellect or ability. His disability is emotional. This week, for example, he spend time coercing children into giving him their money and possessions. He stole things. He threw things. He charms females into feeling sorry for him and giving him food or money when he has no need for either. He covered his body and clothes with water from the water fountain at school just to see what the teachers would do. Last week he broke things at home and in the classroom. He lies, steal, cheats and sometimes hurts people. He is only 6, but has the sophistication of a 30 year old. I know, a 6 year old con man, pretty crazy. This isn't a once in a while thing for our family, sometimes it is daily. If we are very fortunate it is weekly. We practically have a party when he has a whole week with no antics. It is very difficult to live with and it gets very tiring as you can imagine. Being one step ahead of him can be emotionally exhausting and frequently impossible.

So it has been one of those weeks. In the midst of the Christmas season and all the busyness surrounding that we have had the additional challenge of a really bad week with my youngest son. I am spent and feel like I want to send in my resignation letter right now but I do not know who to mail it to. Just being honest. This job is just too hard. Have you ever felt that way? So I go where I go every morning and look at God's word for answers.

This morning my devotional was about Stephen the martyr. Ouch. I am no martyr and I don't even come close to being in league with this guy. So I read on. The author of this devotional went on to read things about tremendously painful, horrible things that people had been through and went on to explain that she didn't have answers for "why" these things happened. She explained that asking "why" is OK. She further illustrated how the Lord met Stephen in that moment and gave him such grace that he could forgive and ask forgiveness for the very people that were killing him! Stephen was stoned to death while preaching. His outcome was less than what we would view as favorable in our human minds. She gave the following verse:

Acts 7:55-56
But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.

Stephen wasn't alone. Do you know how much comfort those words bring to me right now? God was with him, right there in the pain and chaos. He saw Him!

Sometimes there is no trite answer or explanation that a person can give you for why bad things happen. There is no program, no special dance or steps you can follow that will bring a solution to a predicament. The answer lies only in God walking with you through it. It is simple, but profound.

I am not Stephen, not even close, but I know that God is with me through this. Sometimes I can forget though. A few weeks ago my sweet husband was where I was this week...tired and spent. He said, "I can't do this." I said, "you are right, you can't, but God can." This morning my husband said those same words right back to me. God was speaking to me through this wonderful man I am honored to call my husband.

God is with us, even in what we might consider "small potatoes" compared to what Stephen faced that day. He will give us what we need to get through things no matter what the outcome might or might not be.

More than a Conqueror

Focusing on His Presence and Not Only His Presents

I was listening to Steve Berger on the Koinonia House Website http://www.khouse.org/ . I became very convicted in my heart when Steve began to speak about the topic of His presence.

The holidays for me produce a mad rush of buying gifts, mailing cards and decorating our home. Parties, kid's productions and plays keep us flying around in every direction.

Frankly I have started to resent the pressure I feel as a woman to fulfill all the demands I perceive to be required of me. I know that attitude is wrong and I know that the perceived "pressure" is one that I have allowed in my life. I don't think people expect as much of me as I do of myself. In my busyness I neglect time with my Lord and excuse it as "well, You know Lord what my life is like." I don't even need a holiday to do that. I have a ton of excuses.

Steve Berger began to speak about the difference between familiarity and intimacy with God. There is a big difference. Often we desire all the good things of God, His presents, but do not desire the intimacy with Him, His presence, as much or maybe not at all. People are "familiar" with one another all the time. The intimacy of "commitment and covenant" is a something different and much more amazing. Was I simply being "just familiar" with God at times and not taking the time to be intimate with Him?

He gave the story of the prodigal son as an example, who just wanted his inheritance (presents) but not intimacy (presence) with his father. In doing so he end up squandering his fortune and eating with pigs. This is not at what our Lord has for us or intends for our lives.

Luke 15:11-17
Then he said, "A man had two sons, and the younger son said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of your estate that should come to me.' So the father divided the property between them. After a few days, the younger son collected all his belongings and set off to a distant country where he squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation. When he had freely spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he found himself in dire need. So he hired himself out to one of the local citizens who sent him to his farm to tend the swine. And he longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed, but nobody gave him any. Coming to his senses he thought, 'How many of my father's hired workers have more than enough food to eat, but here am I, dying from hunger.



Reading. Studying. Listening to teachers and preachers explain the scriptures and talk about Jesus has always been fairly easy for me. I love learning and I love hearing the Word. I hunger for more knowledge of Him. That part isn't hard for me. Coming before my Lord with more than just a shopping list of requests is more of a challenge for me. I am just being very transparent. Maybe this is not an issue for you. If not that is great!

Please hear my heart. Take your requests to Him. I am not saying that is wrong. Speak to Him about the desires of your heart. Don't stop doing that. But please linger beloved a little while longer and just adore Him. He longs to be with you. Praise Him because you have breath because He made you. Thank Him because you made it through another day. Sing to Him because He loves to hear your voice. Rest quietly in His presence. Shout of His goodness! Laugh out loud because you know He loves you in your humanness and imperfections.

There is so much missing when we settle for just the presents and not His presence. The good news is that just like the prodigals father Jesus has his arms always open to us and is waiting for us to run back to be with Him once again.

If you have never made Jesus Christ Lord and Savior of your life check out this site http://www.allaboutgod.com/become-a-christian.htm



More than a Conqueror