This week’s challenge allows for different interpretations. This might be a “cause and effect” composition. For my interpretation of the story, display the caption by running the cursor over the photo.

August – “Better fatten up for Winter!”

December – “I wish I hadn’t eaten all the nuts!”

Click HERE for more examples of Frédéric Bever’s challenge:

 With an intuitive approach, I considered the photos’ subject matter and graphic attributes and chose those that resonated with each other, creating cross-dependencies and visual analogies. They’re combinations that tell a story. The resulting dialogue — they story they tell — is the creation of each viewer’s individual perception. It’s your turn now: for this week’s challenge, bring together two of your photos into dialogue. What do they say to each other?  – Frédéric Bever

In reality, the squirrel on the left (not sure it’s the same one on the right) is doing what God has programmed it to do. As I watched it this past Saturday, the squirrel went from one place to another in the yard, placing food away for winter. It, however, binged to prepare for winter. The squirrel on the right looks as though he was well prepared for winter, displaying a fat belly.

Nature has some things to teach us about being ready for times of leanness According to the Bible. Solomon observed:

Go to the ant, you sluggard;consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. Proverbs 6:6-8 (NIV)

In practical terms, we must prepare materially for the “winter seasons” of life, that are in some ways as cyclical as the seasons. Whether it is in the order of shelter, provisions or finances, we should be ready for those occasional periods of hardship.

But there is the “winter season” of our lives, too, for which we should be spiritual prepared. I just received notice of the death of a friend in my last church. He was advanced in age and had declined physically and mentally. However, he was prepared for this season of life for spiritually, having stored up treasures in heaven that first came by placing his own life in a secure, eternal, loving relationship with God through Jesus Christ (John 14:1-6). Secondly, he had set his affections on those that God has His heart set on…the world. (Acts 1:8)…loving them as God had loved him.

Summer is fading…don’t be caught unprepared!