If a sloth can have an opposite, it is certainly the squirrel. Were there psychologists for animals, the entire sciuridae family would no doubt be diagnosed with ADHD. And if the forest animals decided to hold a circus, you can be sure these puffy-tailed, tree-climbing, branch-leaping fellows would be the star attraction.
The squirrel is energy incarnate. Whatever he does, whether it is chasing a relative or stealing bird food from a feeder, he does it quickly, and smartly, and eagerly. Even when he is not dashing or climbing at top speeds, you can see his eyes are alert, his mind is racing, and he is scheming ahead.
The squirrel defies the law that haste makes waste. He scurries to and fro, seemingly without method or plan, but does an enormous amount of work nonetheless. He eats about a hundred pounds of food per year, gathers bushels of nuts and pinecones, and serves as the "Johnny Appleseed" of the forest by burying pinecones and acorns. The squirrel is the forest's burglar alarm, using his shrill voice to warn everyone who will listen that danger is near.
But perhaps no other animal knows so well that all work and no play makes Jack a dull squirrel. The squirrel applies his boundless energy to fun as zealously as to work. He delights in playing tag and peek-a-boo. As he bounces from spot to spot, he looks like a child playing hopscotch, with his tail waving like a flag on a dune buggy.
His acrobatic abilities are second only to the ape family, thanks to special sensory hairs on his feet, forelegs, and belly which allow him to run and leap along limbs and branches without watching his feet. Squirrels have been known to survive falls of one hundred feet, because they use their tails as parachutes. They are also excellent swimmers, though they are vulnerable to large fish.
Although he cannot speak in human tongues, the squirrel teaches men by his example to obey Colossians 3:23. "Whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as unto the Lord and not unto men." Though we do not have the instinctive enthusiasm of the squirrel, we, too, must do all to the glory of God, whether we work or play.
This is a good case for loving your job and also making your job fun...A computer programmer can love the "job" but use his "gift" for "fun" and write gaming programs, but if he is not interested in computing but does it because he "has to",he will treat it as a "boring school assignment" and it will show.
ReplyDelete