May, 2024

LEARNING FROM THE SLOTHS

“How many are your works, Lord! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures… living things both large and small.” (Psalm 104:24-25)

The above passage was one source that inspired Cecil Frances Humphreys, later known as Fanny Alexander, to write the words to one of the favorite hymns of animal lovers: “All Things Bright and Beautiful”. This hymn begins with the refrain: “All things bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small, all things wise and wonderful, the Lord God made them all.”

Earlier this year I came face to face with one of the most amazing of God’s creatures: the sloth. After years of watching the sloth portrayed by members of Olive Branch in various skits, of my use of a plush toy sloth for my children’s sermons, and of accusing others of resembling the sloth in their words and actions, I met my first real sloth.

My face-to-face encounter took place in January on the island of Roatan, Honduras. The picture captured that moment when I held him and learned from my little friend some lessons for life I would like to share.

Lesson one: sometimes, the fastest way to get to where you want to be is to go slowly. Sloths are not the quickest of animals. They are perfect examples of how “slow and steady wins the race.” Sloths are descendants of the Giant Sloth that lived millions of years ago. They were nine feet long and weighed up to 550 pounds. The lesson here is that since sloths have been around for millions of years, it proves that we don’t have to outrun life in order to survive it! What if we laid aside the mantra of “hurry up” or “how fast can we get this done” and let ourselves enjoy each God-given moment instead of rushing past it to the next? We just might laugh more, share more, smile more, at this wonderful life God has given.

Lesson two: learn what things to hang on to, and what things to let go of. There are two-toed and three-toed sloths, but both share long limbs with long curved shaped claws. These claws are strong because they are designed to grasp onto branches while bearing the animal’s weight. They can cling to a tree or limb so tightly that predators can’t pull them down. Their survival is dependent on locking their hands and feet and hanging on when they need to, but when the danger has passed, they also need to let go and move on – slowly! They only move around 41 yards a day!

We need to learn from the sloth. We need to learn to hang on to the important things in life and let go of the unimportant. How many of us are still clinging, still holding on to things that we need to let go of? Why do we live so much of life in fear, worried about the “what if” and the “could be” scenarios played over and over in our thoughts? What would life be like, trusting in God, living by the promise that Christ would always be with us, until the end of time? What if we let go and moved – slowly – on?

Just a couple of lessons from one of God’s creatures. Lessons abound in this world – open your eyes and see! “All things wise and wonderful: the Lord God made them all.”

Blessings ~ Pastor Richard
May, 2024