Julie Lavender

CONSIDER THE HUMMINGBIRD MOTH
by Julie Lavender

I hurried out the door on my walk this morning with the items on my to-do list flitting about in my head. Pick up my mom and get to niece’s graduation before all the parking spots are gone. Order a bridal shower gift and pick up the paper goods for next week’s shower. Make a grooming appointment for two too-furry furballs. Bake brownie treats for college kids out for the summer.

“And that’s not even half the list,” I mumbled to no one in particular, because, actually, I was alone on my walk so it’s probably a good thing I hadn’t left my front yard yet.

          Suddenly, something darted

           in front of me.

“Hummingbird.” Again, to no one in particular, but then I smiled, grateful that my husband keeps the hummingbird feeder filled for us to enjoy the visitors this time of year.

I saw the tiny winged creature land on a flower ahead of me and then realized it wasn’t a bird after all. Closer inspection revealed a moth, a hummingbird moth. I didn’t even know there was such a critter until my entomologist husband told me about them.

The plump-bodied insects fly and move around, just like hummingbirds. They can even hover in front of flowers while unrolling their tongues to insert them into a flower and slurp nectar like drinking through a straw.

The pollen collected on the moth’s feet and body helps pollinate other flowers it eventually flits to. I watched him buzz about and sip nectar for a bit before getting back to my walk.

I wondered how many other masterpieces designed by my Creator I might have missed over the years. Two-legged, four-legged, or six-legged ones flitting or whizzing past so fast that I’d not noticed.

Then again – maybe it was me that was buzzing past too quickly. I mean, seems like just yesterday my oldest was graduating from high school and now he’s finishing his third year as a school counselor.

And, wasn’t it just last week that my second child wouldn’t leave my side and now her place is beside her husband of four years?

And I can still remember the first haircuts of my two younger kids – one wailed like he was being tortured and the other one didn’t want the beautician to stop because she adored having her hair brushed and styled.

God, help me remember to slow down and consider your magnificent creations – the human ones, the rest of the animal kingdom, and the plethora of activities and interactions that happen between them all. Because God, your world is truly wonderful!!!

I made it back from my walk in time to get everything done for the day, but thanks to the hummingbird moth, I made an extra effort to do more ‘considering’ and less ‘hurrying.’

What about you? Did one of God's beautiful creations help you remember to stop and consider God's wonders this week? 

Please share with me - I'd love to hear about it!