“Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”
James 4:8, NIV

A yearling squirrel sat no more than 8 feet away as I sat on my front porch writing a Daily Dose of Encouragement.  Timidly he approached the corn feeder eyeballing me every step of the way. At first he would only get close enough to nibble on the scattered kernels on the outskirts of the pile. Scared of his human benefactor he longingly eyed the plentiful pile of corn just beyond his reach.

Stopping my pecking on the keyboard I sat perfectly still hoping he’d think I wasn’t even there. But nothing changed. In his hunger he continued to sit in doubt. Finally he inched up to the pile. Slowly, as he saw he could trust my presence, he moved into the full bounty we had put before him. Every once in a while he’d stop, look my way as if to say, “Are you going to hurt me? Did you put this here for me? Can I trust you?”

The more comfortable he became, the more I moved around and let him see my hand at work. I made louder breathing noises, moved my feet and rocked in my chair and pounded on this keyboard.  Finally he got full because he stopped eating and turned his whole body straight toward me. He looked directly into my face and just sat there quietly. It was as if he was saying “thank you”.  He sat close for so long that my back began to hurt and my dangling feet fell asleep. As the computer flashed a low battery warning I eased from my chair and slowly walked into the house. The little one scampered away – filled to the brim on the provision given him.

God is our benefactor. He is our provider. When we stand in need, He will let us see His hand at work if we are willing to trust Him. As we step out in faith to receive what He has for us, He will meet our need.

Real life lessons are hard to beat! Thank you Mr. Squirrel for pointing out so sweetly that if I will draw close to God I will get to know Him. If I will trust the God who made me, He will meet my need. And, the more I trust Him, the more I will see His hand at work. The more I see His hand at work, the more my faith will grow. It’s a circle of blessing I don’t want to quickly forget!

Until Next Time,

Your Traveling Partner,

Brenda