Invasive Species

This week, a coworker came across something I’d never seen before.  I consider myself more than somewhat familiar with the natural world.  I’ve spent lots of time outdoors.  And I have a basic working knowledge of native flora and fauna.  But this was new.

Slithering on a glass door was this creature.  This flat-bodied worm with a hammer-shaped head measured almost 2 feet long.  Evidently, days and days of rain had driven it up out of the water-saturated soil.   And it wasn’t the only one!  It looked like a small scale alien invasion!

And that’s what it was: an invasion.  Say what you want about Google knowing way too much personal information about us, but they also know worms, and a quick search revealed that this is an invasive species that aggressively hunts and kills our kindly, good-natured, beneficial earthworm friends.

There are so many things that can creep into our lives and kill our kindness.  There are so many invasive attitudes and circumstances that can hunt down our grace and goodness.  Our purpose is to extend and expand love, but love-killing concerns creep up out of the ground and, almost without realizing it’s happened, we form opinions, make choices, say words, and take actions that shut down understanding and compassion.

Keep alert to what creeps out of the ground and into your heart.  Pay attention to the invasive thoughts and feelings that might lead you to harm others or that might distract you from doing good.  They sometimes creep in slowly and quietly.