Have you ever wondered what kind of a psalm David might have prayed if he lived in Indianapolis today? I wonder if he wouldn’t have used the squirrels for inspiration.
As I was watching them one afternoon, a psalm verse came to mind:
“How manifold are your works, O Lord, in wisdom you have wrought them all – the earth is full of your creatures.” Ps. 104:24.
The squirrels and psalm verse inspired me to write this prayer.
Blessed are you, Divine Creator.
Who made the squirrels and all creatures.
The squirrels delight in your trees even in winter
as they scurry up and down, playing or resting in quiet
while they survey the land.
O Holy One, give us grace to be like the squirrels and take each moment as it comes so we, too, can play or rest in quiet.
It’s hard for us to delight in life when our inner land feels cold and dreary like winter.
As we survey our inner land in the winters of our lives, grant us wisdom.
Help us learn from the squirrels who gathered nuts to provide for winter when food might be scarce. Lead us, O Compassionate One, to gather prayerful thoughts and images of your nourishment so we turn to You in our winters of dryness and emptiness.
We, too, are your manifold works.
For this we praise you and give you thanks. Amen.
