For your Name's
sake, O LORD, forgive my sin, for it is great. Psalm 25:10
A friend from high school days
responded to a funny dog video on Facebook yesterday with her own version:
The
funniest thing I saw was our new pup, Maddux, jumping to the back of the sofa
to bark at something outside, and falling behind the sofa. He then stood up and
looked like he did not know what happened![1]
We had our version of this some
years ago. “Loco” the squirrel was
appropriately named. He used to visit us
regularly for peanuts and whatever else we’d put out for him. He was cute, but he was crazy as a loon.
Loco used to bump into things and
get into whatever would make him a little drunk. He would roll in the mulch in our flower bed,
jump and turn over like a popping bean on a hot stove, and then run like a mad
man (squirrel-man, that is); he’d scamper up the nearest tree, turn around and
yell at us like it was our fault he had lost his mind.
He was Loco!
After a couple years of this we
got a little tired of Loco breaking into places he should not have been. I tried to break him of the habit by putting
his food out further from the house. No
avail; the little rodent began targeting our bird feeder.
Now, that was unacceptable; that
bird feeder was set in a flower bed, with border grass at its base and
beautiful blossoms in summer. Trampling
on our border grass was trespassing – (and Methodist or not, those trespasses
were unforgiveable!).
I finally got the best of Loco by
spraying the metal pole that held up the bird feeder with Lithium grease.
The morning after the greasing
of the pole I saw Loco coming around the garage, headed for bird food
paradise. He snuck up on it unaware he
was being watched. With a mighty leap
over the border grass the little grey thief connected with the pole almost at
the top. He was inches from a satisfying
and illegal meal, but the momentum of his leap to the greasy pole carried him
around that pole like an orangutan swinging around the top of a tree trunk…a
greased tree trunk!
When his merry-go-round slowed
down I watched as Loco slowly lost the fight with his slippery grip. Three or four revolutions around the pole
later, while slowly curling downward, Loco disappeared into and below the
border grass.
Three seconds later our furry
robber emerged with a curious look of confusion – looked East, looked West, and
scampered off into the woods.
That was about 10 years ago;
haven’t seen him since.
Upon reflection I find I’m not
much different than Loco. I’m somewhat
of a trespasser in God’s kingdom. I’m
pretty well fed, and not nearly as thankful as I should be.
With the Psalmist I can say, Lord,
forgive my sins….they’re great!
For you, today
It’s Advent…time for preparing
our hearts for Christ.
Have you taken time to talk to
God about your “Loco” ways?
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