Gastropods, Thorns and Slime Trails

Have you ever just stopped and watched a gastropod?  Truth be told, I have been fascinated with these unusually strange creatures for a long time.  When I change locations, probably some of the first questions that I am sure will leave my lips will be, "Why did you make these odd creatures? Were these just the products of a bad day of creating?"  Okay, I know that there are far more important questions to ask, but if you knew me, this type of question would not surprise you.  

Recently, I was on an early morning walk to retrieve my morning iced tea at a favorite local establishment and I came upon several of these gastropods.  The first one was chewing (yes, I said "chewing") a type of thorn from a local Hawaiian bush.  I felt my feet come to a screeching halt. Slowly I crouched down and pulled my phone from my back pocket.  Taking careful aim to capture the moment, I poised the phone; selected the camera app and proceeded to take a photo of this. (Sorry it is blurry.)  I have never seen a slug eat.  For that matter, I had never really thought about a slug having a mouth or even being able to chew.  I was captivated by what I was observing.  This thorn was hard, and long, but at the end was a tiny tiny red bud of a flower.  This slug was slowly, methodically, bit by bit, eating the shaft of this bud. I watched for about 15 minutes.  It was extremely slow going.  The gastroropod did not give up.  It also didn't seem bothered by the length of time this was taking.  It just ate it, one micro-nibble at a time.  On my return journey, once again I paused to watch this creature.  It had reached the bud and was consuming the most delicious part.  It had persevered eating the nasty, hard part until it got to the "scrumptious treat" at the end.  Oh man, I was so happy for this little guy.  I was cheering him on. Strange, I know.  However, as I walked away, I realized my Father was using this silly creature to illustrate how He delights in watching me, and you, learn and grow through difficult things.  He truly watches; cheers for; and celebrates when we persevere through trials.  He does this,  knowing that these difficulties are tests that develop our ability to persevere.  This characteristic of perseverance then helps us become mature in our faith.  

During this ice tea journey, I paused to observe a second slug. This one was leaving a rather sticky trail of slime. My first thought was "Ugh! What a nasty thing.  God has some sense of humor.  Glad I am not a slug."  True to His nature, the Lord quietly reminded me, "He is leaving a trail so that he can find his way home.  It is a scent trail."  I literally stood there dumbfounded for a full 60 seconds.  How odd.  Then it hit me, "I am to be like a slug.  I am to leave a trail of my Father's sweet aroma as I journey through this world being His hands and feet; sharing His heart with this wounded world, so that others can follow me and meet the lover of my soul."

I don't know about you, but I am thankful for the gifts and lessons my Father whispers as I bounce through my days.

What things are you learning today from your journey?  I would love to hear about them.

Until we chat again,
The Plank-Eyed Girl