seriously. lazy.

21 April 2010

That seriously was the only word that kept running through my mind. Lazy. We, as human beings, are so lazy!

My family and I watch the Discovery Channel series Life. It's a show similar to Planet Earth (which we were also addicted to) that gives a close up look at the existence and habits of animals all over the planet. We love these shows because, to us, it leaves you flabbergasted at the handiwork of the Creator.

So, we were enjoying our family time last night by taking in the Life episode on birds. Once again... amazing. Accounts of vultures that are nourished on bone marrow to the elaborate mating rituals of hummingbirds. One bird, the Red Knot, migrates the furthest of any animal, 10,000 miles every spring. It was the penguins that got me, though. (As they have before in March of Penguins. Again... amazing.)

The female penguins would swim in frigid water, then climb a steep volcano to get to the top. On the steep cliffs their mates and chicks were waiting on delivery of their food. The climb was slippery with mud and wet ash and was extremely difficult. But these mommies were determined.

I thought back to the episodes of Life that we have already watched. Thinking of elephants walking hundreds of miles for a watering hole. Remembering stories of the gobies (a type of sucker fish) that climb 400 feet waterfalls, and the sea snake that goes to great lengths to hide its eggs in air-filled cavities underwater. That's when it hit me. We are so lazy. Humans, that is (including me).

These animals do not procrastinate. They do not complain. They do not give up. Truly, unlike us. We procrastinate cleaning the house. We complain about parking so far away from the entrance at the mall. We give up our exercise routine because we can't find the time or don't see results. The bottom line is: We're lazy.

We should learn something from the creatures that God has put here under our dominion. They strive to survive in extraordinary conditions. They nurture and nourish their young with no thought of consequences. They swim, climb, walk, fly, and suffer in order to meet their purpose. Do we? Do I? Do you?

Rethinking my purpose today, and what it will take to do all God has for me to do. The first thing... get off my lazy bum!