I was sitting in front of the window at a friend’s house this morning—watching as a squirrel was playing in a tall tree. I watched as he would run out to the tippy-top branches, playing with the dead leaves, leaping from branch to branch and swinging downward with ease. Either he didn’t notice or didn’t care that his playground was up high enough to cause certain death if he fell. The wind was blowing and the barren branches were swaying and tossing in the wind.

With each jump, the squirrel’s weight reverberated down the branch- causing his little, fuzzy body to compensate for the resulting upswing that happened as the branch reached the end of its elasticity and would bounce back upward again. He seemed to borrow energy from the snap-back of the branch – and allow it to propel him even more fervently into his leap to the next branch. Oh, goodness! He was having fun! I watched him hold on with his little toes as his reverberations wiggled the branch he clung to.

What stuck out to me was this:

#1 He trusted in the balance and equilibrium that God gave him. He knows these trees. He probably grew up in them as most squirrels will always stay within 100 acres of his birth. Yes, there’s hunting and feasting, and running from predators, and such like that. But there is also a safety and a home-ness to the place of his birth. He knows those trees like the back of his paw- and can escape from the predator with more ease if he knows the nooks and crannies of the trees he escapes into.

God gave him an amazingly athletic body- and his brain works each limb in concert to create a swinging, jumping, racing machine. His muscle memory tells him to grab, leap, swing, and even to pause for just a millisecond of time- which will put him in sync with the bobbing branch he needs to hop to next. Any hesitation or lack of fluidity would slow him WAY down, or even cause him to slip away from the branch- possibly hurting him, ending up caught by the predator, or even falling to his death. He has to trust his instinct.

#2 He doesn’t seem too worried. Let’s be honest- there isn’t much panic or worry on this little fuzzy face. His eyes dart rapidly around- ever watchful. His ears are tuned in, listening for the sound of approaching danger, or he sits in the branch sniffing for a berry to enjoy. Trust. Peace. Comfort in his surroundings.

Walk ahead KNOWING that God has already cleared the way for you and put a weapon in your hand… His Peace! You were never meant to be afraid! You were not meant to worry! You were not meant to cower in fear. You were meant to overcome! To live victoriously! To walk boldly forward, equipped with new skills and freedoms! Like the squirrel- you were destined for the treetops. Not the forest floor! As Proverbs 3:5 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not to thine own understanding. The more often you spend time with Him- you will gain knowledge in your mind and spirit just like the squirrel in the tree.

Your mind will gain memory of the terrain- you’ll be more comfortable in your surroundings. Your eyes will see more clearly- you will learn to know the devil and his lies… you will see them coming and have less and less temptation to fall into the traps he is setting for you! Your ears will begin to know the voice of the Lord- and that anything else you hear is a voice that should be carefully weighed and judged if it speaks lies. Your muscles will begin to react automatically- because you’ve been taught what to look for and where to jump! You will begin to anticipate how He works and the ways He moves.

In other words- get to KNOW His voice! Let Him speak to you and make a difference in your life! Push out the voice of the enemy- and seek time with the Life-Giver. Jesus Christ.

In all your ways… acknowledge Him and He will direct your path… like the squirrel. In the treetops. Unafraid.

Rev. Kara S. McCoy, an ordained minister from Minnesota has dedicated her life to working with children. She is a licensed counselor, public school teacher, traveling children’s evangelist and horseback riding enthusiast. Graduating from Christian Life College in Stockton, California was a highlight that led her to marry the man of her dreams and start a cute, little family. These days she can be found holding revival all over the country while completing her doctoral studies in psychology and writing humorous Facebook posts.