| One day, a squirrel dropped from a branch onto a leaf-cushioned woodland floor and hurried to gather as many acorns as possible before the settling-in of winter.Scampering over, he paused, quickly looked up, and ducked just in the nick of time as a swooping hawk’s piercing talons scraped over his back, narrowly missing its prey.Rattled, he dashed back to protection.Now, with less certainty, he ventured back to the treasure. Hopeful, he sighed. However, no sooner had he approached his prize than he noticed a coiled snake making its final move for a strike. Ducking, the pointy fangs distributing paralyzing venom scarcely missed him, fastening on the earth just to his left. Ruffled, he scampered back to cover. Discouraged and wondering if a single acorn from this bounty-strewn supply would be his, he convinced himself to make one more attempt despite the risk. Taking a deep breath, he dashed toward this acorn reserve. Upon arrival, he felt his fur rise on his back, causing him to jerk and swirl about. Fortunately, his movement dodged the swipe of a sly bobcat’s paw with razor-sharp claws in tow. Daunted but not defeated, he reached for just one acorn.Gripping it in his paw, he darted to cover. However, before arriving, it slipped out and rolled back down the hill, settling a hole near the bottom of the swale close to the other acorns. Breathing heavily, he paused to reflect on his plight.He has tried to recover something of value three times, and three times, he has been rejected. Lost in his thoughts, he fell asleep. Rising from what he thought a short respite, he looked outside his hole, and to his dismay, a thick blanket of snowfall had arrived, covering the entire forest floor. Frustrated that his slumber caused him to miss out on a harvest of acorns, he turned and applied himself to the other myriad tasks requiring his attention.Taking comfort, he entered the slumber of winter, sure that while his harvest did not meet expectations, it would nevertheless be there for him next year. No sooner had winter come than it went. He leaped onto the forest floor excitedly and more motivated now than ever to embrace the spring mood. Rushing quickly across the soft layer of leaves, he brushed against something that had not previously been there.Pausing for a moment, he shook his head and smiled. The acorn that he lost last year had become a sprout. Grinning and at ease, he knew that one day, that tree would house many in his squirrel family. What was a previous disappointment had now filled his heart with joy, knowing that what he had lost had become something he would gain. What’s the moral of the story? God often allows things in our lives to end and turn in directions we frequently don’t expect. However, because God is the Sovereign Lord, we can rest in real hope that what was previously an unmet expectation will, in time, prove to be an act of His sovereign grace. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. John 12:24 |