Worries are like that; they lead nowhere. They will never procure even a
tiny bit of what we need. On the contrary, we will experience even more
stress, making the problems themselves even more unbearable.
"All
this time and money wasted on fashion-do you think it makes that much
difference?" Matthew 6:28a (MSG)
I once had a ten-year-old
student who had at least 30 pairs of shoes. Every day she wore different
shoes. I remember thinking that that she would never need another pair;
but that was not the case. She was constantly hungering for more pairs
of shoes. She continuously worried about the latest fashion. Did this
make her happy? Not at all. Worries abound when possessions become our
focus.
"Instead of looking at the fashions, walk out into the
fields and look at the wildflowers. They never primp or shop, but have
you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men
and women in the country look shabby alongside them." Matthew 6:28b-29
(MSG)
When I travel, I don't take pictures of people who are
well-dressed. To me, they are ordinary. It's true that the rich wear
beautiful jewelry; but this doesn't make this person stand out. What I
do take numerous pictures of, however, is flowers. They are so
beautiful, I want to remember how they look, even though within a week
or two these flowers will fade. Beauty provided by our Heavenly Father
stands out millions of times more than our feeble attempts at adequate
clothing. Nothing can compare.
Did you know that some elephants
are great artists? Some can paint or draw, making fantastic works of
art. The zookeeper in Syracuse, New York noticed that one of his
elephants used a stick to draw complex drawings. He offered him a pen,
and after a while this elephant started to draw on paper. It was so
beautiful that the zookeeper asked the opinion of an artist. He didn't
tell the artist where the drawings came from, but the artist was
impressed. When the elephant was identified as being the creator of the
drawings, the artist was even more impressed.
The zookeeper in
Syracuse found out that elephants in other zoos also draw. In fact, one
elephant uses paint brushes, and he is quite good at it. Many people buy
these paintings and drawings. A painting done by an elephant is actually
on display in one of our local restaurants, and everyone admires it.
Do these elephants worry? No way! They simply enjoy what they are
doing.
Would you like an Elephant painting?
P. S. Check
online with "Elephant artists". You will be amazed!
Rob Chaffart