Stop and . . . Watch the Bugs?

I have heard it said before that curiosity killed the cat. If that was true, my sweet cat, Wobbles, would not have survived very long. Wobbles is so curious that we affectionately refer to her as our tiny scientist. If a bug gets into our house, Wobbles will find it and stare at it. For several minutes. If the bug dares to stop crawling so it can rest, Wobbles will take her paw and gently bap the bug until it moves again. Once the bug begins to crawl, we continue our careful observation. She is always careful to stay close enough to the bug to see it closely but to stay far enough away to not bother or disturb it. Bug watching could probably go on in our house for hours, if I did not insist that the bug had to go. Sorry Wobbles—no bugs allowed here. It isn’t just bugs, though. She will sit in a window and watch birds and squirrels and all the other animals that scamper through our yard. We’re pretty sure she doesn’t want to actually chase them, because if she does manage to get outside she just hides under an azalea bush. Our very curious cat is just highly observant of the world around her. 

I often laugh at my cat and how silly she is. In the midst of this silliness, her presence in my life has taught me a lot. Wobbles’ patient and curious observation of her world has made me slow down and look around more as well. Sometimes in the fast paced rhythms of my life, I feel like I don’t pay much attention to the world around me. My mind is always focused on the next homework assignment, the next task to be completed, the next place I have to be. I focus so much on what is coming next that I miss what is happening right now—the flowers in bloom, the beautiful birds that have taken up residence in my backyard, and the cooling weather that means maybe, just maybe, fall is on its way to central Georgia. 

This past Sunday was the first Sunday in our Season of Creation, the month-long worship season where we join with Christians across denominations around the world to celebrate the gift of creation and pray for our common home. Part of this season for me is stopping to notice, to actually take in creation. It is hard to care for what I cannot see or recognize. When I observe the world around me, I cannot help but marvel at all that God has created and what a wondrous gift it is. This recognition makes me want to care for the world around me even more, to treasure and protect the gift of creation. Tending to creation becomes a joy instead of a chore. This only happens, though, if I am willing to stop and pay attention to creation (yes, even the bugs).

As we celebrate creation this season, make some time to enjoy creation around you. How can your own wonder at creation grow? How can you tend to creation in your own backyard?