I want to tell you a story about a chipmunk, Jesus and me.
It was one of those days where things just seemed out of sorts; to put it bluntly; “I just wasn’t feeling it.” It was especially bad that day because it was Sunday morning, and I was about to go preach a sermon soon!
Have you ever have one of those days where ya just weren’t feeling it?
I had questions that I needed answers to, and even though I was praying for it, I was getting nothing!
Overlooking Emporium
So, as was my custom, every Sunday morning I would go up to this spot on the mountain overlooking our community to pray and seek God.
I jumped in my truck and headed up!
I recall standing there for a few minutes praying and not feeling like I was getting anywhere, and then I did something out of desperation. I stood there, and in the loudest voice possible, I shouted out the name . . . “Jesus” . . . and I said it again as loud as I could . . . “Jesus.”
I waited a minute or so listening, almost expecting that He might come out of the clouds and talk to me! I needed to hear from Him and so I shouted again as loud as I could . . . “Jesus” and again . . . “ Jesus” and I listened for a reply.
As I stood there listening, I heard a noise; looking down I saw something rustling in the leaves, it was a little chipmunk, and it ran right up in front of me, about 5 ft from where I stood!
He stood up on his hind legs, looked at me holding an acorn in his front paws, chewing on it while looking at me. He studied me for about 10 seconds and took off, running down into the woods and up a tree.
I stood there and laughed at what I had seen and then it dawned; that little fella knew His Name! As I laughed, I looked up toward heaven and I said; “I think he knows your name.”
You can call me strange, but in that moment, I felt as if God was drawing very near; and He said to me; “He does know My name.”
And then the Lord said; “I’m glad that you know My name too. I heard you calling out to me.”
At that moment, the closeness of Jesus washed over me; and that day, which started pretty rough, actually turned out to be a really, really good day.
After spending some time with Jesus up there on the mountain, I couldn’t even remember what my questions were; they must not have been all that important after all; just being with him was more than enough!
If you ever find yourself having one of those days, and you just don’t know what to do; call out the Name of Jesus, do it with passion and wait for Him to respond . . . and don’t be to surprised if a few furry friends are watching!
The Bible . . . Book of Job 12:7-10 (NASB)
“But now ask the beasts, and let them teach you; And the birds of the heavens, and let them tell you. “Or speak to the earth, and let it teach you; And let the fish of the sea declare to you. “Who among all these does not know That the hand of the Lord has done this, In whose hand is the life of every living thing, And the breath of all mankind?
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