Not the Squirrel!
It’s amazing to see children grow as caring and kind people. My son Noam is especially this way. He has always enjoyed taking care of his stuffed animals and is thoughtful of others, bringing joy and making people smile. His name, Noam, is very fitting – it means “pleasantness” in Hebrew. We loved that name from Proverbs 3:17, which is part of the prayer “Eitz Chaim” (Tree of Life) that is often sung when the Torah is put away in the synagogue service: “[Wisdom’s] ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her; those who hold her fast will be blessed.”
However, without boundaries, this kindness can get Noam in trouble! One day, when Noam was about a year and a half, he was out in the backyard playing with his older brothers, who were 3 and 5. I was watching from the kitchen when I noticed Noam holding something in his hand. Our backyard was deep, shaped like a long rectangle, so it took me a moment to focus and see clearly what he had. To my horror, it wasn’t a toy. I dashed outside and ran to him, quickly picking him up and shaking his arm to release his grip on the dead squirrel he’d given a kiss to! He finally let it go, and we rushed inside to clean and sanitize.
I knew he was just being sweet and caring toward this poor creature, but there’s a limit, right? We need some boundaries!
This moment is a vivid illustration of how innocence and good intentions, lacking discernment and wisdom, can be devastating (or thankfully, in this case, only disgusting!). We might think we’re doing something kind, only to realize we’re clinging to something that is actually unhealthy. Like little Noam, we might hold tightly to something we think is good – a relationship, habit, or goal – only to discover it may be spiritually or emotionally harmful.
I appreciate the practice of Tashlich (“casting off”). Earlier in the fall, Jewish people celebrated Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year), which begins the Ten Days of Awe leading up to Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement). On the first day of Rosh Hashanah, we take this “throwing off” to be quite literal. Jewish people around the world take pieces of bread, or sometimes small stones, that symbolize their sin from the past year, and literally cast off these pieces that represent our sin into a body of moving water.
Now, I am not saying that “throwing off” sin and leaving old habits behind will be easy. Making life changes can be hard, and you often need to change former habits by adding something positive into your routine. However, wisdom gives us discernment to know when to let go of what doesn’t serve our growth. Proverbs 3:17–18 reminds us that wisdom’s ways lead us in pleasant ways. True wisdom leads us to paths of peace, and gives us boundaries that help us live healthy, spiritually sound lives.
Just as Noam had to let go of the squirrel, we sometimes need to let go of things we are clinging to that might be drawing us further from God. God’s wisdom, when we seek it, gives us the clarity to change, as well as the insight to let go when needed.
Proverbs 4:7 – “The beginning of wisdom is: Acquire wisdom; and with all your possessions, acquire understanding.”
James 1:5 – “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”
Psalm 32:8 – “I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will advise you with My eye upon you.”
Written by Hannah, Life in Messiah staff
What steps can you take to seek God’s wisdom daily, so you can walk in “ways of pleasantness” and set healthy boundaries in your relationships and habits?
Is there anything you sense God bringing to your attention that you need to “cast away,” be it a sin, an unhealthy habit, or something that is hindering your growth in Him? How can you respond in obedience?
The practice of Tashlich comes from Micah 7:19, where God promises to cast the sins of His people “into the depths of the sea.” The only way we can be saved from His “rage” against our sin is if “He pleads [our] case and executes justice for [us]” (v. 9). Thankfully, that is just what God has done through Jesus, the Jewish Messiah! Is there someone you can share the Good News with this week?