How To Eat A Pecan

     Have you ever wondered how a little squirrel can crack open a tough pecan or hickory nut shell? During my college years I inherited a “pet” squirrel and spent many hours observing his mischievous actions. The squirrel could run around my body so fast that I could not catch him. He loved to crawl up the sleeve of my sweater and go to sleep there. He loved to taste everything with his sharp teeth. I have observed him go up to an aluminum frame of the window and take a “bite” out of the frame! Until I had the pet squirrel I assumed that squirrels just put a nut in their mouth and cracked it; not so! Observing my pet I learned that they hold a nut and scratch on it with their teeth for 20 – 30 seconds, until they scratch a small hole in the nut. Then they chip away at the hole until it’s big enough for them to get to the meat.

     Some of our challenges in life are like the squirrel trying to eat the pecan. These challenges are not overcome in a single day or with a single prayer. It takes some consistent work and patience to overcome these types of challenges. The Bible says that some things come only by fasting and praying. I had a big challenge one time and prayed about it. God spoke to me and told me that he was going to take care of the problem. I assumed that it would be over in a couple of weeks; not so. God answered my prayer in a great way, although it was over a year before he answered. God’s time is usually quite different from what we think it should be, but he always knows what’s best for us; so when the big challenges come, just keep on praying and watch God move the mountains for you!