REQUIEM FOR A SQUIRREL

 4528

We have been visiting our daughter in Massachusetts.

Yesterday her two dogs, Jack and Otis, needed "to go," and I opened the back door for them. As I swung the door open, I noticed him (or her), as the case may be. A furry gray rodent lying on a piece of plywood near the backyard shed.

Initially I was convinced it was a large rat. As you might expect, I walked the ten or twelve steps which separated me from the creature in a bid to find out what particular genus he was.

Looking down at the little fella, I realized it was a squirrel. His eyes were open, and although he appeared dead, I touched him with the side of my shoe. It seemed I saw the slightest movement, but I could not be sure. However, it was obvious he was long past helping at this point.

It had been raining, and the poor creature was wet. There were fresh incision marks on its body, and I conjectured Jack, our daughter's yellow Lab, had attacked him. Now, I turned and left the little guy to his fate, but for the briefest time 'til I could locate a shovel, and something to bury him in.

Walking back into the house, I grabbed one of those small, cloth shopping bags.

As I was about to walk out the door, I noticed another squirrel on top of the shed. He (or she) seemed to be agitated, and stared down towards its compatriot, I surmised this was the husband, (or wife), as the case may be, of the little creature on the ground. I decided to wait a bit, as I think even an animal deserves a bit of closure. Now, I took a picture. Suddenly, I saw a something move. A tiny chipmunk crawled out from under the shed, paused, and appeared to pay its respects to its fellow rodent. Now, he disappeared beneath the shed again.

Walking out the door I retrieved a shovel from the side of the house. I proceeded to dig a hole; about two feet in depth. Now, I opened the top of the bag while moving the squirrel with the tip of the shovel. Now, he lay in the bottom of the bag in a perfect fetal position.

Anyone who knows me knows that I am convinced that believers will see their beloved pets again one day. And I think that includes many of the other creatures which currently inhabit the earth. And I think scripture supports this bit of theology. In Psalm 36:6 we read the following words,

"You, oh Lord, preserve both mankind and animals."

From the time I became familiar with this verse I would look at my aging pooches, and say,

"Buddy, (or Princess, or Lucy, or Queenie), I claim you for heaven. I will see you on the other side."

(And I have no doubt I will)!

At any rate, now as I set the bag containing the small, gray rodent in the hole, I said,

"I will see you again, little fella," and then I quoted Psalm 36:6.

Now, I began to cover the bag with earth. Finishing my task, I patted the soil with the bottom of the shovel. And then, and then the strangest, and most poignant thing occurred.

(No, the little squirrel didn't "do a Lazarus").

However, IMMEDIATELY, just as I was finishing my task, the bells of a nearby Catholic church began to toll. (I kid you not). Not the beautiful hymns which resounded from that location on a daily basis. No, this was as if all of heaven and earth were mourning this precious creature.

Dong, dong, dong.

And the sound of the bells continued for ever so long.

Dong, dong, dong.

And I thought of the verse in Matthew 10:29.

"Aren't two sparrows sold for a penny? And yet, not even a sparrow falls to the ground without your Father's notice."

Somehow, I am convinced that God took note of the passing of that poor little creature, and reaffirmed the reality of His promises, ...as the last echo of those massive bells reverberated in the distance.

by Bill McDonald, PhD