Bless this Acorn

All you have made will praise you O Lord,
your saints will extol you. Psalm 145:10


Many people are awed by nature.
Everything about the natural world is fascinating to them. I am not one of those people. There are sights and sounds in nature that take my breath away but I’m not a bird watcher or a hiker. I do not seek opportunities to commune with the land. Not being a nature purist I can enjoy those books, movies and cartoons that lend human qualities to animals. Yesterday our pastor showed us a picture of a squirrel in a position that looked as if its paws were raised to heaven. The cute little thing even had its eyes closed. Adorable! Yes, it is a rat with a tail but irresistible in that pose. The caption was a Scripture verse but it could have read, “Bless this acorn and berry I am about to eat.”

That image grabbed my heart and stayed with me all day. I know that little squirrel cannot speak. I know that the pose is not what I want to think it is and that it may, in fact, be something sinister. “Watch the common yard squirrel as he prepares to attack his predator.” That may be more the case but I prefer to see as our pastor and whoever took the picture intended for us to see it. The squirrel is praising God. Why not? The squirrel was created by God. What really impressed me was the simplicity of the whole thing.

We see pictures of military men and women heads bowed, hands folded, deep in prayer. We see photos of groups of people holding hands, heads bowed deep in prayer. We see video of audiences at Christian concerts or listening to a speaker, hands raised, eyes closed, faces turned up, the direction we think of as heaven. We see those images and we can imagine what some of those prayers could be. But a squirrel? What does a squirrel pray? How does a squirrel pray? Honestly I highly doubt that they do. And yet, they are created beings. The psalm says “all you have made.” We read psalms and other Bible passages that say that everything should praise God. If that squirrel is praising God I guarantee you its praise is purer than mine. That tiny animal does not have to put aside its anger at a family member or a co-worker. It does not have to ask forgiveness for not appreciating its job. That squirrel brings no agenda to the table of praise. If it can bring praise, it brings pure and simple praise.
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. Psalm 150:6

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