It was an unannounced visit. Yesterday, Little Red, our term of endearment for the sometimes annoying but usually entertaining red squirrel who lives in our yard, joined me as I sat on my porch. He seems to view himself in a role between lord of the manor and groundskeeper. Initially, he didn’t notice my presence, but that changed when I greeted him. He turned, looked at me and began a tirade in squirrel noises. I don’t speak squirrel—I have enough difficulty translating autocorrect. However, although his vocalizations, part squeak and part chatter, were unintelligible, the tone was unmistakable.

He stepped within half a metre of my chair, looked me straight in the eye, and expressed his displeasure at my intrusion into his space. When I informed him I was staying, he hopped along the porch, muttering the whole way and throwing menacing looks at me. Eventually, he disappeared with a flash of fluffy tail and more disgruntled sounds.

Little Red is the guardian of our property—at least, he guards it from other squirrels and chipmunks. As we eat, we often look out the window and see a black or gray squirrel desperately trying to reach the speed of light as Little Red chases it. And yes, he also expresses his outrage to them, and it doesn’t sound like sweet nothings. Chipmunks just wait until Little Red is off duty and then raid my garden.

I chuckled about this encounter, and it dawned on me that this robust creature probably owes some of his good health to my BEANS and the other vegetables he’s stolen from my garden. Then I saw a connection—he was much like me! He seems to think he owns the place and doesn’t appear to give a second thought or express gratitude to the ones who planted the BEANS and provided a lovely environment for him to enjoy.

Is that how I am with God? Do I take his goodness, mercy and grace for granted? Not always, because I am grateful to him for so many things. But maybe I get lost in the chaos of life sometimes and forget to appreciate all he has given me.

I’m not quite ready to apply that insight to my garden and share it with the critters as an extension of God’s goodness. But it is worth considering where I fall short in my life. Maybe someday I’ll put out a buffet of my own free will for Little Red. Don’t hold your breath. I’m not that mature yet.