Raccoon III – Backyard Bandit

Jesus replied with a story: “A Jewish man was traveling from Jerusalem down to Jericho, and he was attacked by bandits. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him up, and left him half dead beside the road. “By chance a priest came along. But when he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by. A Temple assistant walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side. “Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him. Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. The next day he handed the innkeeper two silver coins, telling him, ‘Take care of this man. If his bill runs higher than this, I’ll pay you the next time I’m here.’ “Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?” Jesus asked. The man replied, “The one who showed him mercy.” Then Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the same.” – Luke 10:30-37 NLT

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Raccoons are near-sighted, meaning they see things better up close rather than far away. One thing which aids their vision is the black “masked bandit” colorings on their faces. This black color helps to reduce glare from bright sunlight during the day, and absorb peripheral light at night to improve their nocturnal vision. This black marking is actually an important trait for their survival.

Raccoons are highly intelligent, and can adapt to a large diversity of food. The raccoon in this picture was apparently looking for bird seed under a few of our feeders before he attempted his getaway. They make their homes in hollow trees and abandoned burrows, and usually have 1 – 6 young ones (kits) in a litter in the spring – about April or May. The offspring will stay close to their mothers for about a year, and mama is very protective of her young. An adult raccoon in the wild can grow to approximately twenty pounds.

Dexterity

These critters have remarkable dexterity. I’ve seen them flip their hind feet 180 degrees when hanging upside down. I saw that feat when one was climbing into a rather large dumpster – thus their reputation of being called trash pandas. Raccoons can also turn door knobs, open bottles, and twist open latches. They are not the fastest animal on the planet, but fortunately for them, they are good tree climbers, which can help them escape predators on the ground.

The above parable which Jesus told about a man showing mercy to someone who needed help because of bandits is one of His most well-known stories. It reflects the heart of Jesus Himself for the people of the world, many of whom have no idea they need help.

If you’d like to know how you can have peace with the God Who has unfathomable mercy toward you, please see Got God?

Hope you have a great day.