Of Bugs and Men

Have you ever wondered why the infinite, all-knowing, all-powerful GOD of the universe would bother with silly humans?  I have; I still do. God has been kinder, more gracious, and more merciful to me than I will even deserve.  I find the words “I deserve” to even be inappropriate. I deserve nothing good.

In my years of science teaching, I have collected and kept many strange things. Most would say that the strangest would have been a fairly large collection of Madagascar hissing cockroaches. At one point the colony numbered in the hundreds. Although mostly raised as a food source for my bearded dragons and other lizards, they also served as an interesting diversion. For some of my colleagues, they were the ultimate in disgust; in my eyes, they were, well, entertaining. As I look back on the experience, a thought has occurred to me. Why had I fancied some, and yet speedily dispatched others to a fate of being crushed between the jaws of a hungry lizard? I  guess it had something to do with their individual personalities. I realize that for the non-cockroach aficionados, this seems like a wild and even absurd idea.  Still, they had their subtle, yet distinct differences. Some would instinctively run and hide; others would linger as if to try to fathom the great shadow that loomed above them. Some even seemed to look up. I think my favorites would be the ones that actually seemed to notice me. I cannot say I felt love for them, but I did feel compassion. They got a special lettuce leaf, a choice morsel of fruit. But most of all, they avoided the gaping jaws.  All it took was for them to look up.

God has done some very wonderful things for my family, and myself. We have seen him provide everything we needed, when we needed it, in crazy and wonderful ways. Why me God? Why so much favor on such an insignificant thing? There is nothing good in me. I am not special, lovely, or extraordinary. There is not, nor has there ever been, any reason for the Great Creator to have favor on me. Yet HE does, I think I now know why. Yes, I understand HE is the one who calls to us, who quickens our hearts. Still, I am grateful that at an early age, my parents to taught me to just look up.

“Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.”

James 4:8