Sweet gum balls

*Thanks to my friend Debra Dickey for writing today’s post!*

Yes, sweet gum balls.  Have you ever given them much thought?  Probably not!  I hadn’t either until my most recent inspiration, again, during my walks with my dog, Maddie. On these walks, I step through them, past them, over them, around them, and on them, the whole way.  My initial thoughts about them were not so complimentary!  Other than re-seeding, what are these stickery, round, brown balls of obstruction all over the ground, good for?  But upon a more careful examination, of my thoughts as well as the gum ball, I quickly acknowledged what a marvel of creation that stickery brown ball precisely is!  Have you ever picked one up and looked at it, I mean really given it your full attention?  It’s beautiful!  Intricately and uniquely designed, featuring details of marvelous architectural construction, unparalleled and not replicated in any other production in nature.   Amazing.

And from that humble reflection, I could not contain my awe and wonderment of the artistry, the indescribable workmanship (maybe that should be workGodship), the exquisiteness, the wonder, and the perfect uniqueness, displayed in every genesis brought forth by the hand of God in this realm we call ours.Amazing.  

Shapes, designs, colors, compositions, sizes, schematics, forms, shades, groupings – each different, each exclusive, each rare, individual, and incomparable.Who of us, even in this modern age of advanced technology, would have been able to even fathom, much less execute, the vast number of such unbelievable and intricate architectures?  From the softest blossom to the hardest bark, from the most delicate hues to the equally brilliant vibrant colors, from the sweetest fragrances and flavors to the pungent, piquant aromas, from the tiniest dewdrop and the most graceful snowflake to the resplendent mosaics worn as coats by the magnificent animal kingdom – how can it be imagined?  Even the sands are painted an unbelievable array of breathtaking colors.   Amazing.                                                                                                                                      

I am persuaded that we belong to a God who took the time to craft and robe this earthly space in which we walk in heavenly raiment, to delight our senses, lighten our journey, and refresh our spirits. And in so doing, He delights in our praise, and in His relationship with us, asks only that we place our faith and trust in Him.  Yea, also “I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.  Wonderful are your works, that I know very well.  . . .”  (Psalm 139:14)

And so I remind myself in my insignificance, that I too, like the artistry and architecture of nature,  am ‘fearfully and wonderfully made’, ‘intricately woven’, ‘knit together in perfection’, and ‘In Your book were written all the days that were formed for me, even before they existed’.  Amazing.  Amen.