Today’s scripture: Proverbs 30:23-33 (NRSV) (The Message) (KJV) What might God be saying to me?
My thoughts (Vivian Wyatt):
This Proverbs speaks of “things” that are small but exceedingly wise. The passage then goes on to talk about ants who work hard in the summer to store up food for the winter; badgers who are not powerful when it comes to dominating or controlling others but build their homes in the rocks; locusts who do not have a leader and yet they cover the ground with precision; and the lizard who can be picked up but yet can find its way into palaces.
I have known some things that are small but exceedingly wise. I once had a cat named Dusty, so named because when I found her under an abandoned house she was covered in dust. She really did not like her first and only bath… but I digress. She was my first pet and I must admit I was not a responsible owner. I would let her go outside even though she had not been spayed (or is it neutered — I always get that wrong). She wound up pregnant.
I became a responsible owner and made sure that she had a bed full of blankets for her kittens in my bedroom and did a lot of reading to find out what I needed to do when the happy day arrived.
One day I came home from work and Dusty had given birth under a desk in the den. There were three little clean kittens lying on the hardwood floor without any mess or bother. I spoke very harshly to Dusty, saying “Dusty, you know I made a bed for your kittens in my bedroom. Come on let me show you. Come on!” She followed me obediently upstairs. “This is where your kittens are supposed to be and yet they’re under my desk.” She turned right around, picked a kitten up by the nape of its neck and carried it upstairs and deposited it very gently into the box. After two more trips each little kitten and its momma was nestled in the blankets, snuggled in for a nap. Dusty was small but she knew how to be a good mother and that a box with blankets was better for the kittens than a hard floor.
We sometimes forget that our children are small yet they understand more than we give them credit for, especially when it comes to the seemingly difficult things of life. We want to shelter them and protect them but they may be far ahead of us.
This is a paraphrase of something I saw on Facebook.
“My brother John and his partner Dan were at our house and as they were walking in the backyard they were holding hands. My five year old asked “Why are Uncle John and Dan holding hands?” I replied, because they are in love. She said, “Oh, can I have a cookie?”
Tiny as she was she understood what was important and what was not.
Thought for the day: Just because something/someone is small, they should not be dismissed as valueless or clueless. If we can take the time to listen and observe, we can learn from children and animals.
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the suggestions on the How to Pray page.