The Chipmunk's Dilemma

The Chipmunk's Dilemma

Psalm 102:1-2, 25-28; selection from Who Moved My Cheese?

A meditation delivered electronically by Rev. Dr. Randy K. Hammer, May 31, 2020

The story I am about to share, especially with our high school graduates in mind, is 100% true.  But it just might be a fitting parable, holding wisdom for all of us in these uncertain times.

I noticed that since moving my safflower seed bird feeder from one location in our back yard to another, I couldn’t keep it full; it often would be emptied overnight.  A couple of weeks ago, while I was sitting by my camera watching for birds, I discovered the culprit that was emptying that particular feeder – a crafty chipmunk.  I watched as the chipmunk climbed the trunk of the tree, ran down the branch to which the feeder was attached, and then jumped to the feeder platform, where he commenced to gorge himself on safflower seeds.

Well, I thought, that is where my birdseed is going.  Now, it is not that I don’t like chipmunks; I do.  But the chipmunks also get their fair share of feed that falls to the ground under the feeders. 

So, I promptly went out and moved that particular feeder away from the tree and out of reach of crafty chipmunk, then I went back inside the sliding glass door to again watch for birds. 

Well, you can guess what happened: in about three minutes here came crafty chipmunk again.  He ran up the tree trunk, across the branch where the feeder had previously hung, stood there and looked around for a moment in bewilderment, ran down the entire branch and back up again, stopping every now and then to search for the feeder that he knew was there.  The chipmunk would stop and look, run all around the tree trunk and branch in a frenzy, then run back down to his burrow totally confused.

This display happened four times in the course of about 15 minutes while I was sitting there.  The confused chipmunk couldn’t get it into his little head that the bird feeder he had come to love and rely upon, and that he knew was there, had somehow vanished. 

As I sat there and watched, I finally decided to record a video of the display.  And I surmised at what the chipmunk must be thinking to himself: I can’t believe it’s gone.  I know it was here just a moment ago.  I must be looking up the wrong tree or down the wrong branch.  If I keep coming back, maybe it will reappear.  Who pulled the birdseed rug out from under me!  I had gotten very comfortable with this arrangement; what am I going to do now?  This is a disaster; it just isn’t fair!  

Such, I surmised, might be some of the thoughts running through the crafty chipmunk’s little brain as he frantically tried to understand what had happened to the comfortable worldview he had adopted.

Well, as I said, such is a parable for all of us, but especially for our graduates.  In the last three months – since the final semester of high school began – the worldview that we all knew and the arrangement with which we were very comfortable, have been snatched from us.  Ideas about going to prom, walking across the stage at graduation, getting a summer job to earn money, taking a summer trip or having big parties with all our friends, moving into a dorm and starting a course of college study in August – all of these things we had counted on are either gone or somewhat uncertain.  As with the chipmunk, in a moment’s notice, it seems, they were snatched away from us, and we have been left in frenzy bewilderment, not really knowing which way to turn and what we are going to do now that the worldview we held is no longer valid.

Well, I was reminded of that wonderful little book titled Who Moved My Cheese,  by Dr. Spencer Johnson. It tells the story of change that takes place in a maze where four amusing characters [Sniff, Scurry, Hem and Haw] look for “Cheese”—cheese being a metaphor for what we want to have in life, whether it is a job, a relationship, money, a big house, freedom, health, recognition, spiritual peace, etc. 

Every day, Sniff, Scurry, Hem and Haw make their way through the Maze toward Cheese Station C.  But then one day when they arrive at Cheese Station C, the cheese is gone.  Everything seems to have changed overnight.  The heart of the story is how each one of the characters deals with this unexpected and earth-shaking change that has occurred.  The character that seems to deal with the change best is Haw.  As Haw makes his way through the Maze in search of new Cheese, he gets these inspirational thoughts that he writes on the wall.  In the end, when Haw has found a new Cheese Station and all is well again, he writes on the wall the following principles that he has learned:

Change Happens - that is, They Keep Moving The Cheese.

Anticipate Change – that is, Get Ready For The Cheese To Move.

Monitor Change – that is, Smell The Cheese Often So You Know When It Is Getting Old.

Adapt To Change Quickly – that is, The Quicker You Let Go Of Old Cheese, The Sooner You Can Enjoy New Cheese.

Enjoy Change! – that is, Move With The Cheese and Savor The Adventure And Enjoy The Taste Of New Cheese!

Be Ready To Change Quickly And Enjoy It Again & Again – that is to repeat, They Keep Moving The Cheese.

The overall message of Who Moved My Cheese? is that “in a world that is constantly changing, it is to our advantage to learn how to adapt and enjoy something better.”²  If you have never read Who Moved My Cheese? I would highly recommend it.

The good news is that even in the midst of uninvited change, good can happen.  Even when we are faced with unexpected or unwanted changes in our world and personal lives, we may find a positive way through the changes.  And we should try to  look to the future and its possibilities with renewed hope and faith.

The psalmist reminds us that change is a part of life; it is built into the makeup of the universe.  It is the nature of things to change, to pass away.  But in spite of all the change, the psalmist proclaims, God endures; the Good endures.

My crafty chipmunk will continue to survive and even thrive, in spite of the unexpected change that I brought upon him in the snap of a finger.  I’m sure that by now he has already adapted, and possibly even forgotten about life as it was when my birdfeeder was within easy reach. 

  And we who have faith and determination to persevere, and are able to adapt, and have this supportive community of faith are blessed with an anchor of hope and confidence that helps keep us secure in the midst of violent change around us.  May it be so for our graduates, and may it be so for all of us. Amen.

¹Who Moved My Cheese?, Spencer Johnson, M.D.  New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1998, 2002, p. 55.

²Ibid, p. 18.