Blog: Max Dawson
January 23, 2017
One of the funniest scenes in the movie “Christmas Vacation” was when Chevy Chase found a squirrel in his house. You can’t help but laugh when the squirrel jumps out of the Christmas tree, bounding over the top of Chase’s head.
To really have a squirrel in the house is not so funny.
Last Monday I wrote about the Florida trip Lee and I took earlier this month. We had an enjoyable time and got to visit with lots of our brethren in Christ. We arrived home last Tuesday afternoon.
We were in for a surprise.
We had some mild concern for our water pipes while we were gone when the temp fell below freezing on January 8. No problem with the pipes. But we had no thought that a squirrel would ever get inside the house while we were away.
When we came into the house with our luggage we noticed a few things out of order. Some things on the kitchen floor that shouldn’t have been there. A hat. A couple of papers. Then Lee looked at our French doors that go to the back porch. There were bits of white plastic all over the floor by the doors. “An animal has been in the house!” were my first words. It had been chewing the plastic frame that holds the windows on the French doors.
We found similar evidence on four other windows. The squirrel had made numerous desperate attempts to get out of the house. But how did it get in? And where was it now? The fireplace…that’s the only possible way in!
The squirrel was evidently building a nest at the top of our fireplace chimney–and squirrel and nest fell down the chimney. The fall must have forced the damper open. And so, the squirrel is in the house with no way out.
The squirrel was found lying peacefully on the nest in the fireplace. He had died there at the place where he came in. Fortunately, he must have died no more than a day before we came home. There was no odor. Only a house in disarray. Curtains and blinds torn. Pictures knocked over. And that damage to the windows.
He must have died of starvation or dehydration. I have no sympathy for him.
THE FINAL WORD
Bible thoughts that came to mind as we cleaned up the mess:
, “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth.”
Who would have ever thought the day before that we would find a squirrel in the house? How do you ever anticipate something like that? You don’t. James said, “You do not know what tomorrow may bring” (). Be ready for anything.
, Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and thieves break in and steal; but lay up treasures in heaven…”
Our real treasure is in heaven. And while no one wants the thief (or the squirrel) to break in, the things lost or damaged are just “things.” They are not souls, not life, not real treasure. We have to roll with the punches and take whatever life brings to us, keeping things in proper perspective. In the big picture–no big deal!
By the way, we are going to put a permanent fix on the top of our chimney so something like that can’t happen again. Squirrel in the house–not funny!
Blessings to you, my dear friends and brethren,
–Max