One Saturday in early spring Ronny and Jimmy were exploring in the woods near their home. They were looking for skunk cabbage plants... not for skunks.
Following the creek, they came across a skunk caught in a steel trap by its front paw. The two boys figured the trap had probably been set for muskrats, but it had caught a skunk instead. The skunk must have been searching for something to eat in the winter's litter that had washed up along the water's edge when it stumbled upon the trap.
Ronny decided he'd try to free the skunk, but Jimmy wasn't too sure he wanted to get involved. As Ronny slowly inched his way toward the skunk, Jimmy stayed up on the bank, well out of the way... and held his breath. "Watch out," Jimmy warned, barely talking out loud. "You're going to be sorry, Ronny."
But Ronny kept right on, talking gently to the skunk. He finally got close enough to reach forward and close his hand around the trap. Meanwhile, the skunk had pulled as far away from Ronny as the chain would allow, never taking its little black eyes off Ronny. The trap had caught the skunk's front paw just above the wrist, but the bones didn't seem to be broken.
Moving very slowly, Ronny grasped both sides of the trap. The skunk stayed perfectly still, but its black eyes watched every move. Now Ronny was holding his breath, too. Slowly he pressed down with both hands until the spring catch released.
Suddenly the skunk's leg came free and it tumbled backward because it had been pulling away the whole time. It quickly got back on its feet, but just stood still, holding up its injured leg. It looked at Ronny for a long time and then finally turned and hobbled away. In talking it over later, Ronny and Jimmy both felt this was the skunk's way of saying, "Thank you."
A skunk might be one of the last animals anyone would want to release from a trap. In fact, most people would leave it alone. But Ronny was determined to free that trapped skunk. Some people might think that they are too bad for the Lord Jesus to save that He'd rather not bother with them. But that is not the case at all. Everyone is a sinner, and it doesn't make any difference if you are a big sinner or a little sinner. The Bible tells us "there is no difference: for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." Rom. 3:22, 2322Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: 23For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans 3:22‑23). The good news is that Jesus loves each one of us so much that He died on the cross, bearing the punishment for sin. "God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Rom. 5:88But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8). No matter how bad a person you might be, Jesus loves you and will save you from sin's deadly trap. All you have to do is trust Him.
The skunk seemed to show its thanks to Ronny. After you have trusted the Lord Jesus to save you, it will be such a relief to be rid of your sins and you will have such peace, that you will thank Him the rest of your life.