“Don’t be a Flying Squirrel”
Not long ago, my husband and I were blissfully sleeping when he burst out of the bed yelling, “Help! There’s something attacking me!” As we flipped light switches on and searched what turned out to be an empty room, I asked my husband a logical question…” Honey, did you take a melatonin tonight?..” A few hours later my husband, who had remained awake, caught a glimpse of the returning visitor.
It. was. a. flying squirrel.
Yes, the feeling of little claws tiptoeing across his head and down his neck was a baby flying squirrel that proceeded to leap from one piece of furniture to the next and scurry all across our house. Thankfully, my husband was able to capture the lost rodent, but not until he caught a video of it catapulting from end of the room to the other to prove to me he wasn’t crazy! The story of my husband being attacked by a flying squirrel will forever be a favorite of ours!
As I watched that squirrel dash back and forth on the video, I couldn’t help but feel like my brain had been a lot like the squirrel lately. It seemed no matter how much I wanted to be still before The Lord, I was scrambling through distractions that prevented me from landing in the place I needed to be.
The Bible study I participate in has been studying the book of Daniel. I was familiar with Daniel’s story….lions, friends in fiery furnaces, disciplined diets…yea, I knew the story…but what I had missed was Daniel’s incredible ability to focus.
Throughout the book of Daniel, scripture shows his devotion to God and his commitment to prayer. Numerous times, Daniel was placed in circumstances that required him to make a choice; seek God first or allow his own agenda to take place.
Daniel 2:18-23 shows him seeking God’s help in prayer as he faces death on a time limit.
Daniel 6:10-12 shows his unwavering devotion to God as he chooses to kneel and pray despite a law that would put him to death if he was seen doing so.
Daniel 9:4-19 shows his deeply committed heart to keep praying for God’s will to be done and expresses his deep trust in God’s plan.
Daniel 9:20-23 and Daniel 10:7-12 both show us a compassionate God that sends reassurance to Daniel that his prayers are being heard.
As I read through these true scenarios, I had a thought…what’s my excuse for not prioritizing prayer and time with my Lord?
Sure, life has dilemmas. Maybe not roaring lions or death penalties, but life’s demands definitely offer its share of choices…
Reaching for my phone or taking a moment to pray as I wait…
Answering messages or pausing to simply thank God for everything He has offered today…
Rushing to the next task or asking God to show me who I might offer a prayer to…
Reading about Daniel’s ability to remain focused on God and devote his priorities inspired me to reconsider my own approach. I wanted to be a ‘Daniel’, not a flying squirrel. I wanted to remain focused and disciplined in my devotion to The Lord, not floundering around succumbing to every distraction.
I encourage you to read through Daniel for a refresher and let it inspire you to be more like Daniel too!
