The Squirrels

There is some type of air rifle gun sitting beside the back door. It is intended for the squirrel that continues to invade the chicken feed outside. My husband is ready for him to leave our yard as every day the feed bucket reduces its content. Seems somewhat harmless to me, but over time, Mr. Squirrel will indeed bring all his squirrel friends, and we will be paying to feed the rodent population of the neighborhood. Because little by little ends up being a lot over time.

Kind of how the enemy works in our lives too.

                  A few weekends ago, my husband decided we needed to clean the garage. The kids are I were a little apprehensive of what our free day was going to look like, but he set a timer for two hours and promised that was all we would do. He kept his promise, nevertheless, by the end, we were all dripping with sweat, covered in dust, and very happy to return to the air conditioning.

                  In the process of the clean, I found some old books that we had made for stateside visits after living in Serbia. One of them was made from the first three years, another after 7 years, and even more from years 8-10…I guess I got tired after that. My favorite was one of those Walmart books where you can submit pictures and a little text and voila you have a nice hardback photo album to share. We made each of them to show friends, family, and partner churches what life looked like in Serbia. I sat them to the side and continued my forced labor in the garage (just kidding) …well sort of. 

                  A few days later, I was preparing to share my life story with my ladies in discipleship group, and I thought of those books. When trying to share life experiences, pictures are always helpful, especially when your life experience is so foreign. So I got them out and reminisced on all the faces, places, food, and memories that became my history and changed my heart. There are not enough words or images that can completely convey my love and heart for the country and people of Serbia. They are family and, in a way, Serbia is my home.

                  God tells us repeatedly in His word to remember.  In Deuteronomy 8:2, "Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands.” And then again in Psalm 105:5, "Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he has uttered."

                  There are so many more too. We are such a forgetful people. We get busy and we become easy targets. We have an enemy who just like this silly squirrel sees an abundance and who little by little starts to take. He is too smart to take it all at once. He works subtle, little by little working his way into our lives and thoughts, bringing with him more distractions until we feel empty and alone.

Seeing those photos and walking through years of what the Lord allowed us to be a part of did something in my heart. It lit a spark that I pray will turn into a flame. Living our lives in obedience to God, being a part of His story, knowing our purpose in this life is the only way I know how to truly live.

I do not know what the Lord is asking of us, but I do sense that He is preparing something different. In the meantime, we are praying for His spirit to lead us in His ways. We want to be obedient with today, right where we are at. We understand our purpose is to make much of Jesus, so that will remain our goal for each and every day.

I am so grateful for the reminder of really challenging seasons of walking in obedience to Jesus. It was all worth it. And I am expectant about what is to come.

The lies that we begin to believe about God and ourselves always begin as simple thoughts. The enemy is too clever to use big sins to pull us away. It’s a slow leaky process that we must be careful to avoid. Remaining in Biblical community, putting God’s word into our hearts every day, practicing gratitude, and remembering are all ways to keep the air rifle beside the door of your heart.

Happy hunting.