Mom's Blog - He is faithful!!

Rachel prayed for a pet squirrel.  Her Daddy and I didn’t know, or we may have done some praying of our own:).  Nevertheless, a month later God answered.  A baby squirrel fell out of our church’s attic and Daniel found it.  It had a bloody mouth and nose, but was unbelievably tame.  The children took it home and nursed it back to health.  In a few weeks’ time its’ mouth healed, it progressed from milk to water and nuts and learned to find things to eat outside and to climb huge trees in our back yard.  Hannah named the little guy Erastus Johannes.  Erastus means beloved and Johannes means God’s gracious gift.  Rebekah called him Ratty:).  My husband instructed Rachel to put the other pets in the kennel whenever she took the squirrel out for tree climbing and exercise.  We were hoping to release him soon, and were considering where he could be released with the least danger from predators. 

One day we took Erastus out to climb trees.  We put the two dogs in the kennel.  Erastus was soon climbing and jumping from branch to branch.  After a while the girls called Erastus to come back down so we could go in.  Rachel said something about the cat being out and that Daddy had said he should be put in the kennel too.  He can climb right back out; but it takes a minute or two.  I thought that surely nothing would happen.  As Erastus ran back down to the two girls, Buffy the cat made a dash for the squirrel.  Buffy is quicker than we are.  He ran around the yard with Erastus in his mouth, and with us in persuit of them.  We were yelling loudly at our disobedient cat, who was only doing what cats do, when we trapped him behind the shed.  The girls released the squirrel from his deadly bite.  Erastus lived about a minute–just long enough for a short good bye.  There was loud weeping and wailing in our back yard. 

I wish we had been obedient to my husband’s instructions.  I wish I had acted on the prompting I had felt.  The lesson cost all of us heartache.  Our cries could be heard for several minutes.  A neighbor checked on us.  Erastus lies burried in our back yard.  His stone reminds us:  listen to Daddy.  

We called Daddy.  He came home to comfort us, burry the squirrel and have a “talk” with the cat.  Our hearts still ache.  I hope we’re better people for having had the experience.  

Just listen to Daddy.