How 4 small creatures found in nature teach us wisdom to navigate this pandemic
Nature has its way of recharging us and it’s keenly felt when most of the world is staying indoors. We feel rejuvenated for a few reasons:
- Allows us to leave stress inducers of everyday life behind and focus on something more pure, which centres our mind and relaxes our body (Wisconsin school of Medicine & Public Health)
- Natural light regulates melatonin production allowing us to sleep better at night
- Nature stimulates awe which enhances well-being (Stanford University)
But more than rejuvenation, we can find WISDOM in nature and its inhabitants. The bible, the old wise book of wisdom counts these 4 small creatures, which are often inconspicuous, as the wisest of the wise.
Proverbs 30:24 MSG
There are four small creatures, wisest of the wise they are
Wisdom of Ants: planning well for the future
Weakness: Frail
ants — frail as they are, get plenty of food in for the winter
They use the summer months where its warm to store up food for the cold season.
Wisdom of Marmots: living in well protected areas
Weakness: Vulnerable
marmots — vulnerable as they are, manage to arrange for rock-solid homes
These fury and rotund animals, sometimes called large ground squirrels, are often hunted by bigger creatures. Marmots protect themselves by building solid homes in rock piles.
Wisdom of Locusts: unity and strength in numbers
Weakness: Absence of leadership
locusts — leaderless insects, yet they strip the field like an army regiment
These short-horned grasshoppers are usually solitary. But even with no leader taking charge, when serotonin levels in their brains change, they come together, and form swarms that rapidly strip fields and damage crops.
Wisdom of Lizards: advance into important positions
Weakness: Easy to catch
lizards — easy enough to catch, but they sneak past vigilant palace guards.
Though small and easy to capture, it overcomes its insignificance by being able to enter the presence of kings.
Lesson:
Amidst frailty, vulnerability, lack of direction, and seeming weakness, we can seek wisdom that helps us to prepare for the future, stay protected, journey with community, and advance into key places.
Proverbs 30:24 MSG
There are four small creatures, wisest of the wise they are — ants — frail as they are, get plenty of food in for the winter; marmots — vulnerable as they are, manage to arrange for rock-solid homes; locusts — leaderless insects, yet they strip the field like an army regiment; lizards — easy enough to catch, but they sneak past vigilant palace guards.
Is wisdom really that important? Hope on to the next read: This is the 1 thing you should pick up in life.
Cracked Shell Media was started in May 2020 during the Coronavirus Pandemic with the aim of tackling life’s hardest questions, sharing our imperfect opinions that help our thinking readers better make sense of the world we live in.
Read more about us here:
Help support us in producing more of such content and join our community via Patreon:
