All Creatures Great and Small I wrote about the creatures bright and beautiful at the beginning of the summer. Then I got off track and forgot to continue with all creatures great and small. So, that is what I am going to write about this week. Sturgeons: Have you ever seen a sturgeon? They are huge! Not particularly good to eat because of the numbers of bones, but great sport fish. Well, one early Spring while we were having some renovations done on the lake cottage, I was shocked to see the water churning and churning right in front of the house. It was a “deep water” Spring; meaning that the lake was right up to the top of the retaining wall which is just two feet from the porch. The plumbers rushed to the wall and with awe in their voices proclaimed the glory of mating sturgeons. Sure enough, that churning was caused by several very large fish rolling and roiling in the waters in front of my house. The guys express their dismay at not having their fishing rods in the van. I was glad and told them not to come back and try to catch them. You see, there is a legend here is that our lake monster, Champ, could be one of those sturgeon which has grown to gigantic proportions. I wouldn’t want to take the chance that they might catch Champ and put an end to all the mystery that Champ evokes on Lake Champlain. Then there are ants: I am sure that all of you have had experiences with ants. Here at camp, they are the welcoming committee as we walk in the door. They come in all sizes: the giant ones who are eating the camp, the medium size ones who eat everything else and like water and the teeny, tiny ones who swarm all over the sugar and honey jars. Ever notice how they are the most caring of insects; rescuing their injured brethren at great cost to their own safety? I have tried to live with them but it is not possible. They bite and they don’t share the food. Once they start on something, it is gone from human consumption. So, we look for solutions. I used cucumbers peels very successfully for years. Made the kitchen smell good and didn’t do any environmental damages. Just look unsightly. But this year, we had to resort to more vigorous methods like buttons, sprays and sprinkles around the outside perimeter. Most of them have moved on to greener pastures. Not sure what that means for an ant. However, the teeny, tiny ones just love the native honey. I wash the bottle each time and still find them licking the residue. So, we trudge along together; learning to share the honey. As always happens to me when I take time to really look at this beautiful world that I am blessed to occupy, I am overwhelmed with gratitude and awe. Dear Lord, thank you, thank you, thank you! Can I say enough to sincerely relay how I feel about these gifts and challenges? Looking at the sturgeon and the ant, I see the creatures great and small and I know that the Lord God made them all. One way or another, the Lord God made them all. And I am truly grateful. Remember that the Lord God loves you unconditionally. Spend some time looking at the beautiful world in which you live. Read Psalm 8 New International Version (NIV) as an interesting meditation on this topic and our place in creation.

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