Silly Question

…You are fearfully and wonderfully made…Psalm 139:14

I was looking through some beginning of the school year questions the other day and one that I’ve seen dozens of times held my attention for a long time. The question was, if you could be any animal which would you be.  I pondered lots of choices and dismissed most of them for silly reasons.  I didn’t want to be a lion or gator because I didn’t want people to be afraid of me.  I didn’t want to be a cheetah because I hate running and I didn’t want to be a skunk for obvious reasons.  I wondered about being tiny like a hummingbird and giant like a hippopotamus.  After much thought I settled on a dog.

Dogs are loyal, enthusiastic, friendly and affectionate.  Puppies especially are adorable and tend to bring laughter and delight.  Dogs are also intelligent, helpful and easy to get along with.  They don't need a lot of expensive stuff and they are usually very content.  In my mind, it was the answer that made sense.  The funny thing is that those are all qualities I really admire in people.  I thought about this question far longer than I care to admit so then I turned it to prayer and wondered what the Father was teaching.

Animals have characteristics that are meant to help them survive and take their place in the order of creation.  The same is true for each of us.  We aren’t supposed to all be alike.  Each of us was perfectly created by the Father who loves us to be, act and think differently.  Our differences were meant to make us stronger and to help us grow in holiness.  We seem to have lost sight of that.  We would never expect a shark to be as cuddly as a kitten or a giraffe to snuggle up at the foot of our bed.  We wouldn’t expect a tiger to help bring in the cattle and elephants perched in trees chirping delightfully would be a little terrifying.  Maybe God was reminding me to open not only my eyes but my heart to the differences he purposefully designed in each of us.  We have so much to learn and appreciate and respect when we walk among God’s sons and daughters but we have to open our eyes and notice.  

As I pondered the silly question that started all of this I realized it helped me notice the beauty in everything God created. The next day  I found this line in a prayer book and it seemed like the perfect lesson.  Lord, Lord, I could learn so much if  I would notice before I nag and pray before I panic.

A Seed To Plant: Spend some time this week with that line from the prayer book and if you really want a distraction think about the animal question too.​

Blessings on your day!