Link (That’s me.)

So for Valentine’s Day I received a wonderful gift from Mallory. It was nothing other than the DVD set of the Discovery Channel’s Planet Earth!

We’ve watched a total of 3 episodes thus far: Caves, Deserts, and Ice Worlds. It is some of the most interesting and visually stunning television I have ever watched. And the best part of watching it is that after I’m done watching an episode, I actually feel like I have learned a thing or two. Some of the highlights of the episodes thus far are:

-100 meter bat dung pyramid

-Crystal caves

-The Penguins in -40 degree C weather

-The Whales

I had an interesting thought while watching the Ice Worlds portion last night. We saw how the humpback whales would dive deep into a swarm of shrimp-like creatures, release air bubbles to corral their meal, and then surface to eat what they had collected. It was so interesting how the largest animal on the earth was utterly dependent on some of the smallest creatures (one of the animals the whales eat doesn’t even weigh close to a fraction of a fraction of a percentage of the whale’s entire body weight).

Apply that to our lives. There is so much going on in the world, and so many things that seem “necessary,” even “essential,” to our survival. Often it seems like we are supposed to need the job that pays the big bucks, the largest plasma screen TV available, the fanciest car, or the most luxurious meal. [Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not advocating that we all move to the forests and live in lean-tos. While that would be fun for about a week, I  admit that I like having the occasional nice thing.]

But it’s not the big events or the big things that really sustain us. The big things don’t provide happiness. Happiness . . . health . . . life is found in the little, daily events. It’s the little things that matter and that truly make life rich. Being kind. Taking time out to help a friend in need. Giving a loved one a hug. Talking. Laughing. Smiling. Exercising faith by doing the little daily things that God would have us do.

The point? While it is nice to have nice things and have lucrative opportunities, perhaps that shouldn’t be our life’s pursuit. Make sure you do the little things. Make sure you treat your family well. Let them know you love them. Serve others. That way, when life does throw you the occasional period of good fortune, you can more richly enjoy it. Particularly with those who are closest to you.

Smile, you have a lot to be happy about.