Worm's Eye View

We had a bit of rain this morning and I'm sure that if I had been up for my morning walk, I would have ended up a tad bit damp.  As it was, we had several interruptions to our sleep last night ... and I slept in ... to 6:47.  A.M.  Since when is that sleeping in?  Good question! :)

By the time we headed to school this morning, the rain had abated, but the sidewalks and roads were still wet.  Due to these conditions, we were witnesses to an interesting and rather disgusting phenomenon known as the great worm migration ... to no where!  I'm sure there is a scientific reason for all the worms to head out of the mud and onto the street when it rains, I'm just not sure what it is.  As we walked along the bike path, we dodged worms and worm pieces.  In attempting to help one large one on his way back to the grass, he wriggled his way out of my hands and landed on his head ... or his hiney ... it's hard to tell the difference.  Ashley was especially disturbed by all the worms and kept pointing them out.  "There's one, Mom!  Oh, there's another one ... he's a big one!  Uh-oh ... that one got squished."  It was an obstacle course of worms all the way home!

More than anything, however, I wish they all had a plan for getting back to their squishy, muddy, boggy homes.  A good number of them didn't seem to have a plan and found themselves stranded in the middle of the road.  Now that is a miserable way to go!  It reminds me of one of my favorite Far Side cartoons:  a man stands on a side walk in front of sign that reads "Sidewalk Closed"; the caption reads "A man with no alternative plan."  Ha!  On my return trip this afternoon to pick up kids, I had the unfortunate experience of seeing a large portion of the worm-herd flattened and shriveled on the bike path.  Eww.

Now, on this same bike path, if I were to lift up my eyes from this worm-smooshed view, I would see a crisp, blue, autumn sky dotted with white, fluffy, cottonball clouds.  I would also see the surrounding trees changing colors:  lime green, golden yellow, rust orange and burnt red.  Each tree at a different stage of transformation.  Such a kaleidoscope of colors.  True beauty right before my eyes.

I realized that I had two options this afternoon:  focus on the drab, dull, destiny of worms with no alternative plans OR lift my eyes up to see the miracle of Fall orchestrated by the Creator of the universe. 


I have the same choice everyday ... no matter the season or the day of the year.  I can get absorbed in the hard, tiring, hum-drummy parts of my day or I can look for God's fingerprints in my day-to-day and ask Him to show me something new, something fresh, something alive.


Don't get me wrong ... there are days when it's hard for me to appreciate God's good gifts.  It's easier to hang my head and trudge along.  But, with a little prayer and a willingness to let God help me, I can almost always see and enjoy the gorgeous golden leaves and pass right over the dead worms.  It's a much better view up there! 


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Just so you know, we will be having our KEBL night this evening ... the one evening we were all home this week!  Check the sidebar for this week's song!