Thursday, October 16, 2008

Abigail


Today Emily got a pet cricket.  That's right, a pet cricket.  She named it Abigail (apparently she has moved on from naming everything Sparkles).  Abigail is currently hanging out in an old peanut butter jar, on a nice bed of grass, drinking water from a saturated cotton ball and eating...ground up cat food!!  Ah yes, a great source of protein for the little guy.  

Abigail came to live at our home as a result of a nature study during co-op today.  Emily has been so excited, that she even gave the jar a hug and kiss tonight before bedtime.  You should hear her talking about this cricket--it is hilarious!  But as she went to bed tonight she became deeply concerned that Abigail might die soon.  After all, she knows that the life span of an insect is usually not that great.  I gently told her that everything dies, and that God would comfort her if something happens to Abigail.  I then proceeded to tell her that in Heaven nothing would die, and that we could look forward to that!  She got so excited, hoping to see her dear Abigail again.  I decided to just leave it at that for now.

So, besides that being a cute story that I just wanted to share, it actually has to do with what I've been reading in scripture for the last couple of days.  Why does the grass turn brown in dry weather?  Why do we have to water trees after transplanting them?  Why do many plants die in the winter?  Why do WE die?  Here is a wonderful passage explaining this:  

Romans 8:19-23
For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God.
For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.
For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now.
And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body.

Our world is a beautiful place, is it not?  Sunsets, flowers, animals, mountains and plains.  But according to the Scripture, the earth is in a cursed state because of sin.  We know that from the story of Adam and Eve and the Garden of Eden as well.  It just blows my mind to think that if our world is so beautiful in a cursed state, can you imagine what an "un"cursed world will be like?  There are descriptions in the Bible of our eternal home, but I have a feeling that our futile minds cannot even begin to conceive it.  All of creation is longing for that day, including all humans, although sadly, many do not realize or admit it.  God created us for His glory, and one day, those who have received Christ will reach the culmination of that glory.  

Once again God has amazed me with His Word, and I am thrilled beyond words to see what awaits!!! 

1 comment :

Anonymous said...

ours were named pooky, pinky, and pinto. the leter of the day was "p", can you tell? they have since bit the dust. fortunately, none of my children had any fond attachment to them. emily was very cute feeding her Abigail. i think i do remember her naming the picture of her grasshopper Sparkles.