Bunnies and Squirrels

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen in temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
2 Corinthians 4:16-18

When we lived in California, my husband could take the dogs out for a run and there were few distractions to take the dogs off course. However, living in Kansas has proved to be a bit different. You see, there are bunnies and squirrels everywhere. These cute furry creatures are proving to be great distractions for the dogs and “squirrel!” - oh, sorry got distracted there for a second - ends up making their routine outings much longer than they need to be sometimes. Life is like that - full of distractions that can send us chasing after bunnies and squirrels or other stuff. 

Life’s distraction whether they are large or small can often cause us frustration, waste our time and cause us to lose heart and question God about what is going on. Why do we struggle so to get back on track when a storm has pushed us off course or we’ve chosen to chase a bunny? 

Paul is a great encourager as we see in this week’s passage. He is acknowledging that life can be difficult; that we regularly allow stuff to distract us from what is really real, especially, for those who follow after Jesus. Paul calls them “light and momentary troubles” a subtle reminder that God’s time table and ours do not match. Paul lets us in on the secret for staying strong even in the midst of the chase or the storm or the detour or the desert we are facing “fix your eyes on what is unseen” is Paul’s encouragement for the Corinthians and for us. 

When we are tempted to chase after life’s bunnies and squirrels or to let the difficult things of life overwhelm us - if we fix our eyes on Jesus, we will find that His mercy is indeed new every day, that our hearts will be strengthened because everything we may face on this planet fades in light of the eternal glory that is waiting for us, that is here for us now. 

A Prayer
Father - Thank you for the words of encouragement we find in Your Word. Thank you that when life distracts us from what is really real, all we need to do is fix our eyes on You and allow Your Spirit to right the course for us. Thank You that Jesus, understands all that we face and that His mercy and grace never fails us. Help us this week to overcome life’s distractions by seeking you and encouraging others. In the name of Jesus, Amen.