I was
sitting out back in my little herb garden recently, pondering life and the
fungus that has taken over my mint, when I noticed a little worm of some sort
crawling across the paving stones. I am a lover of bugs and most living things,
but I have to say—this was an ugly worm. It was exactly the color of nasty clay
mud with a beady black head. I believe my lip curled in distaste as I watched
it.
But then—as
I watched it—I began to notice how effortlessly the little creature made his
way across the stones, how he smoothly negotiated the cracks between the stones,
cracks easily a third of his own length. He just rippled along, seemingly with
definite purpose.
What kind of
brain is required to make that happen? And how tiny must the brain be? What a
marvel of creation is this little brown worm! When we are advised in Proverbs
to “go to the ant . . .Consider her ways and be wise,” I know the diligence of
the ants is the main point. But taking note of God’s tiny creatures can afford
a different kind of wisdom as well—wisdom to understand that beauty is about more
than looks.
Recently I
saw a post on Facebook that I just had to share. It said something like this: I may not do everything well, but at least I
don’t have ugly children. I thought
that little gem was clever enough to share.
So I did. But then I thought
better of it. Who does have ugly
children? Does anyone? No one I know. All our children are beautiful because
they are our dear ones. It’s more than a cliché that beauty is in the eye of
the beholder.
Ray Stevens
used to sing that song “Everything is Beautiful.” I am not ready to go that
far, but many things are beautiful. God has made an amazing world and given
incredible talents and gifts to creatures as humble as worms. Jesus advised his
hearers to observe the birds of the air and the grass of the field to see
examples of God’s loving care (Matthew 6). Worms will also work.
--Sherry
Poff
