Incredible Saguaros (Part 2)

Bible Reading: Romans 12:9-13

“Look!” said Rylee, stepping back from the huge saguaro cactus. “There’s something in that hole!”

Dad and Easton came over to see. Sure enough, a pair of blinking yellow eyes peered back at them from a hole in the trunk of the cactus.

“I think it’s a screech owl,” said Easton. “We learned that woodpeckers and flickers peck holes into cactuses when they make their nests. Then after they leave, other birds move into the empty holes and live there.”

Dad nodded. “Each time the cactus skin is broken—like when a woodpecker makes a hole—a thick gluey liquid seeps out and forms a waterproof pouch inside the arm,” he said. “The liquid hardens, something like a scab, to make the pouch permanent. Inside the hole it’s cooler in the day and warmer at night, so it makes an ideal home for desert birds.”

Rylee saw big and little holes in the arms of one of the cactuses—they were everywhere. “This saguaro is like a high-rise apartment building!” she said with a laugh. “What a crowded place to live.”

Easton grinned. “Just like our house.”

Rylee nodded thoughtfully. Grandma had recently moved into their house, and Julia, a single mom who went to their church, was going to be living with them for a while with her two-year-old son, Wilder.

Rylee remembered the discussion they’d had about Julia and Wilder coming. “You’re kidding!” Rylee had said. “Where are they going to sleep?”

“Well,” Dad said, “they will need to move into your room, and you’ll have to share a room with Easton.” He patted Rylee’s hand when he saw the look on her face. “I know you like having your own room and your brother can be a challenge sometimes, but it’s only for a while until Julia can get back on her feet. Pray about it, will you?”

Rylee had tried, but she hadn’t felt comfortable praying. She knew she was being selfish and not acting like Jesus. But now Rylee looked at the big saguaro that offered a home to any creature who needed it, even if it meant having holes pecked into its walls. I won’t complain, she thought, even if Wilder pounds holes into our walls too—and knowing him, I’m sure he will! – Trudy Vander Veen

How About You?

Are you willing to give up some of your comforts or conveniences to help others? Try to put yourself in their shoes and consider how you might feel if you needed help and no one was willing to give it. Jesus wants you to think of others before you think of yourself. Ask Him to help you be unselfish and love others the way He does.

Today’s Key Verse:
1 Corinthians 10:24 (NIV) No one should seek their own good, but the good of others.

Today’s Key Thought:

Make sacrifices for others