Once upon a time, there was a tribe of squirrels living in a forest. They were ordinary, average squirrels. They scampered through the trees. They chattered. They gathered nuts – pecans to be exact. One year, then another year, then another, the pecans didn’t make very well – they were small and not very many of them. But that’s all the squirrels could get so that’s what they settled for. One day a young squirrel named Ned was seen looking high up into the trees. He had spotted a huge pecan growing up there by itself. It was so big it seemed out of this world, supernatural, miraculous. That pecan was growing at the end of a branch of a tree that grew out from a ledge over a deep, raging stream. A squirrel asked Ned what he was doing. He pointed to the pecan and said, “I’m going to get it.” The squirrels laughed and said he was nuts. Some told him it was just too dangerous to go up that tree and out over the stream. Some said the pecan was just a mirage. They said the few small pecans were easy to get and he should be satisfied and just forget it. But an old gray squirrel named Tom hobbled up and put his paw on Ned’s shoulder. Tom said something none of the other squirrels could hear then the two squirrels disappeared into the woods together.
A couple of days later, Ned and Tom returned. Ned looked up at that massive pecan for several minutes then he headed for the ledge where the tree grew. It took him a long time, but he finally reached the base of the tree. He sat on the leaning trunk and looked out where that pecan was. Still and quiet. After many minutes, Ned backed up as far as he could then took off running up the tree trunk as hard as he could go. All the other squirrels, on the ground and perched in trees, watched. Most of them shook their heads at this ridiculous stunt. A few cheered silently inside. Ned’s mom covered her eyes. When Ned ran out of branches big enough to run on, he pushed himself in a tremendous leap for the pecan. With both paws, he was able to clutch the lower half of the pecan. It came loose from the branch, but Ned couldn’t control it. The nut came free and fell toward the raging river, and so did Ned. Now, no one had noticed but old Tom had cautiously – but recklessly – worked his way out on a narrow limb of another tree, just above the wild water. He stretched out his paw as far as his old bones and stiff joints would allow. He caught the pecan! Tom caught the pecan! Ned caught himself on that same limb, and the two squirrels brought the gigantic pecan to the ground.
Old Tom didn’t live much longer after that, but everyone could see the look of deep satisfaction and joy in his eyes, and a little bit of a smirk with his mouth, even when he died. And Ned – well, a lot of the squirrels hated Ned, but a few admired him, and more than a few went to him when there was trouble.
Colossians 3:1-3
Matthew 6:33
Matthew 13:44-45