Lessons for living from animals

By Victor Parachin,  Writer  Tulsa, OK

Many places in the Bible instruct us to observe other creatures on the planet and allow ourselves to be instructed by them.   Jesus, for example, offered an important teaching about the futility of worry by looking at the birds.  (Matthew 6:26).

The book of proverbs addresses those who need motivation saying:  "Lazy people should learn a lesson from the way ants live."   (Proverbs 6:6, Good News Trans)

Here are some impressive and inspiring lessions for living from animals

A Lesson in Perseverance

During the 14th century in Southwest Asia, Emperor Tamerlane (Timur the Lame), a descendant of Genghis Khan, was defeated in battle and forced to flee for his life.  

While enemy troops searched the countryside looking for him, he found safety in a barn.  As he lay there, desperate and dejected, Tamerlane observed an ant trying to carry a grain of corn over a perpendicular wall.  The emperor counted each time the ant tried to carry it up over the wall.  Sixty-nine times the ant fell back.  On the seventieth try, the insect finally pushed the grain of corn over the top of the wall.  Seeing that happen, Tamerlane leapt to his feet with new energy and enthusiasm.  Though he had just been defeated, he would try, try and try again - just like the ant.  He did, reorganizing his army, defeating his opponents and re-establishing his rule.





A Lesson in Community

A flock of wild geese settled on the pond of a private estate in Scotland.  The gardener captured one of the flock and clipped its wings so that it would not be able to fly off but be forced to remain as a "decoration" on the pond.  


After the geese had rested, they started to resume their flight.  However, the bird with the clipped wings tried frantically, but unsuccessfully, to lift itself into the air.  To the amazement of the gardener, the other geese, observing his struggle, flew around in obvious effort of encouragement.  His companions, seeing that this one bird could not join them, settled back on the pond and waited.  Though their urge to continue their migration is strong, they remained resolute in waiting until the cut feathers had grown enough so that the goose could fly.  After several days, the gardener was relieved and delighted to see the entire flock rise together and resume their journey.

Those geese offer this profound reminder that we all need community.  When we are hurting and need of support, it is our community that can deliver healing and encouragement.




A Lesson in Sharing

The owner of a cafe in Germany would daily throw out crumbs for the sparrows who lived in the area.  One day, he noticed that one of the sparrows had an injured leg and walked on the ground with considerable difficulty.  With amazement, he observed inspiring activity from other birds who, by mutual agreement, did not eat any crumbs that lay nearest to their crippled companion.  That allowed him to get his share of food daily.

The action of the sparrows is a reminder of Oscar Wilde's observation: "Those who have much are often greedy, those who have little always share."  In life, it's vital that we reduce greed and increase our sharing.













A Lesson in Caring

Albert Schweitzer, the famed Medical Doctor who served the poor in Africa, tells about an important lesson in caring he gained by observing stray monkeys that lived on the grounds of his hospital compound.  "Sometimes, there will come to our monkey colony a wee baby monkey whose mother has been killed, leaving this orphaned infant.  I must find one of the older monkeys to adopt and care for the baby.  I never have any difficulty about it, responsibility.  Many a time, it happens that the seemingly worst-tempered monkeys are the most insistent upon having this sudden burden of foster-parenthood given to them."

Author Norman Cousins offers this wisdom:  "The individual is capable of both great compassion and great indifference.  He has it within his means to nourish the former and outgrow the latter."  Day by day, we can and must nourish our capacity to care.












A Lesson in Kindness

One Sunday afternoon in May, Henry David Thoreau was spending time rowing on a river with his sister Sophia, when they heard the faint meowing of a kitten.  They pulled over to the bank and paused.  

In his journal, Thoreau describes what transpired: "Leaving its meowing, it came scrambling over the stones as fast as its weak legs would permit straight to me.  I took it up and dropped it into the boat, but while I was pushing off it ran to Sophia, who held it while we rowed homeward.  Evidently, it had not been weaned - was smaller than we remembered that kittens ever were - almost infinitely small; yet it had hailed a boat, its life being in danger, and saved itself.  Its performance, considering its age and amount of experience, was more wonderful than that of any young mathematician or musician that I have read of."











A Lesson in Persistence

Robert the Bruce

July 1274 - June 1329

One of the fascinating stories of a nation gaining liberty involves a spider and a soldier.

Robert the Bruce, who became King of Scotland (1306-1329), was engaged in a series of battles with the more powerful English.  Branded an outlaw and terrorist by the English, Robert was, at one low point, forced to flee for his life.  

While hiding in Ireland and with his future looking bleak, the future King of Scotland closely observed a spider spinning a web.  At one point, he watched the little creature make six unsuccessful attempts to attach a thread before the seventh effort was successful.  According to legend, Robert noting he had failed six times in his battles with the English, decided that he would be persistent as the spider.  Robert's hopes, dreams and energies were restored by witnessing the spider's persistence and patience.  Thus, Robert the Bruce returned to Scotland, where he won the Battle of Bannockburn and ultimately freed his nation from English rule.


Calvin Coolidge rightly noted:  "Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence.  Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent.  Genius, will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb.  Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts.  Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent."












When life gets rough and the going gets tough, the application of persistence can make the difference between giving up or going on.



But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; ....or let the fish in the sea inform you.   - Job 12: 7-8 (NIV)




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Published 3/28/06  ALT MSN Group

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