Lessons From an Inchworm

Lessons From An Inchworm

"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths."
Proverbs 3:5-6

One cold spring morning my brother, parents, and I went fishing down the Bar River, just east of our home town. It was a beautiful morning; the sun filled the sky with such light the muddy little river almost sparkled. Almost, but not quite. You see, Bar River is the muddiest river imaginable; if you put your hand in the water it disappears, the water is so muddy it feels thick. Inside the murk, however, the biggest, best, most elusive Pickerel lurk. Pike, Bass, and the occasional Perch can be caught, but Pickerel, now they were the prize. We had been counting the days on our calendar, waiting until Pickerel season started and this was it! The first day of Pickerel season.

In our family, it is traditional to set prizes for catching the First Fish, the Most Fish, and the Biggest Fish. The reward? Fresh baked, just bought, huge, sticky cinnamon buns. The best tasting cinnamon buns ever. Still warm too, if the first fish could be caught quickly.
Trawling down the Bar river in our little boat is like drifting through a corner of heaven. The narrow river winds past forest and farm, so narrow at parts that two boats can hardly squeeze past one another. That spring day, nature was staging quite a show. Blue sky, new buds on the trees, sparkling (almost!) water, all accompanied by a medley of the top ten Northern bird songs. We saw chipmunks, a muskrat, and even a cow! It was beautiful.

Four hours later, the scenery was still beautiful, but there were no fish. Not a bite, not a nibble, not even a tug. Nothing. And, as beautiful as Bar River is, it is also very short. We had passed the same stand of trees, the same bit of farmland, over and over again. We had already been awarded (and had eaten) the consolation prizes for No Fish (any excuse to eat the cinnamon buns!), but were reluctant to call it a day. Tired of the scenery, I looked down into the boat. An inchworm had fallen in, and was slowly inching it's way up the side of the boat. When it reached the top, I picked it up and placed it inside the empty fish-pail. I didn't want it to fall overboard and get eaten by a fish (yes, I was still optimistic that there were fish). The inchworm was stubborn though. It immediately started scrinching and scrunching it's little green body up and up, determined to escape. I watched it's slow progress, and, when it finally reached the top, I picked it up and put it back into the bottom of the fish-pail. Up it went. Down I put it. Up the river we went. Down we came. The inchworm (and my father) were just not ready to give up.

It occured to me then, that we humans are like the inchworm. Stubborn, obstinate creatures, we strive and strive, sometimes exhausting ourself in the pursuit of our goals. And sometimes, no matter what we do or say or try, our efforts are not enough, and, like the inchworm, we find ourselves in the fish-pail of life. Maybe those are the times to stop, wait, and trust God to take care. Maybe it is His hand, gently picking us up and putting us back down again because the time is just not right. That little inchworm didn't know that reaching the top would lead to a huge fall, and possibly death. It couldn't see that far, but I could. I knew. And if I cared enough to help a little green inchworm, imagine how much more God cares for us. He knows what is right for us, and, more importantly, he knows WHEN the time is right for us.

My father finally decided that there were no fish to be caught that day, and we went to shore. I gently lifted the inchworm up, and placed it on the safety of the grassy river bank. It stopped, then lifted it's little green body up high, waving slightly from side to side. It inched away then, slowly, gratefully, I thought.

Now, years later, whenever I feel like I'm stuck, like I'm just not getting anywhere, I try to remember that inchworm. I know that if I just stop leaning on my own understanding, and trust God, He will take me by the hand and gently lead me to the safety of the grassy bank. That I need to rely on His perfect timing, not mine, His will, not mine. I can then rest secure in the knowledge that He will direct my paths. After all, He promised. And God always keeps His promises.

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HI!

Overall

First of all, I have to say thanks for your entry for my contest "Today I'm Feeling Contest!"
This is a Beautiful item! Beautiful message. Very inspirational. I love that last part when you explain to us why you compare that pail and inchworm with us. Great job!


CONGRATULATIONS! You won first place!


Take care and keep on writing such beautiful and inspirational items.
Winnie