Thursday, July 12, 2007

Crickets defy gravity

I noticed a grasshopper walking up the outside of my office window yesterday.  I don't usually associate "superpowers" with a common insect, but here was an obvious example of gravity being defied.  I've seen this before, of course, with ants and other bugs but the large grasshopper walking up the large window made an impression.  I was curious how the grasshopper could do this.  It turns out that there are hairy adhesive pads on their legs that secrete an oily substance.  This substance causes the hairs to adhere to the glass and provides traction to walk vertically and to resist forces that want to dislodge it.
  I suppose this helps the small creature to hang on when it gets windy.  Maybe it also helps them chase their prey.  It occurred to me that the same God who created the force of gravity also created the grasshopper.  He gave this humble creature a wonderful ability to overcome the universal tendency to fall so that it can survive.  Apparently we humans don't have a need to climb smooth vertical surfaces so we can't imitate the grasshopper.  We do have a need to escape falling, however.  The universal pull of temptation draws on all of us.  Fortunately the Lord has given us a unique ability to reach out, not with sticky feet, but with sticky hearts to cling to Him and we, too, can avoid falling.
 
Psalm 63:8 My soul clings to you;
                    your right hand upholds me.
 
blessings,
Rob Smith
 

No comments:

Post a Comment