Marvelous Gift

On these drizzly, overcast mornings that carry a touch of cool Fall air with the sunrise, I walk for a long while in the dark. I miss opportunities for pictures during the first couple of miles of my journey, and I worry that the remaining miles might hold nothing that catches my eye or my imagination. So far, so good. It seems that somehow, someway, something pops up every day.

This morning, as it slowly grew light, I saw these mushroom/fungi/ whatever it is that grows after it rains type of thing. They are on the ground. Their color is muted and bland. Unless one is looking at their feet, I imagine they would go unnoticed for their entire life span. I doubt anyone would plant them or build a garden around them. Yet, in their own way, they are interesting. And I imagine I will now look for them each morning going forward.

It is easy to fall into the shortsighted habit of only seeing the bright and flashy as we walk through our life and the diversity of creation. The brilliantly colored blooms aren’t the only plants worth our notice. The most colorful birds don’t always sing the most beautiful songs. The grey of clouds can paint as magnificent a sky as the brightest blue. The peacefulness of the valley can rival the majesty of the mountaintop.

The same is true for we human creatures. There are always those who standout because of their beauty or their expertise or their exceptional abilities. And these are certainly worth noting and celebrating. But if these are the only people we notice and acknowledge, our life is much the poorer. If we miss the beauty in the lives of those who serve quietly, we have missed much. If we fail to acknowledge the love of those who care for others with quiet compassion, we are the lesser for it. If we walk through our lives thinking the stars in this world shine in a vacuum instead of standing on the shoulders of a supporting cast, we are foolish indeed.

As with creation in general, the true beauty of the human family is found in the whole; in the broad spectrum of our uniqueness and our diversity. To appreciate only one expression of who we are as a people is to shortchange our own experience of the gift of life. We are said to be created in God’s image, and God is beyond our imagination. I want to more fully embrace the marvelous gift of this precious life.

Peace.