44/365

Anyone wondering where James Cameron got his inspiration for the creatures in Avatar hasn’t been underwater in awhile. Or to the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga. It’s primo.

Here’s why: 1) Going into an aquarium is a great escape. Dim lighting and gobs of fish moving so gracefully thru aqua blue water is therapeutic. And lets be honest, who doesn’t need a little therapy? I forgot about money and emails and songs and calories for a few hours. 2) Looking at creatures that I don’t understand makes me feel small. Not insignificant. Just small enough to remember that the world does not revolve around me. That there is an entire globe that does not hang on my every thought and feeling. Thank GOD! And….. 3). Nothing reminds me of the magnitude of our God like nature. It makes my brain hurt to even attempt to conceptualize the fact that God made everything—from as small as the cells of a jellyfish to the depths of the ocean floor.

Everyday, the trees in my front yard photosynthesize carbon dioxide and water to create oxygen that I need to breathe in order to keep my heart beating. (Isn't that how that works? I've probably got it all wrong.) Regardless, it’s astonishing. I am surrounded by creation 24/7. But what's funny is that I have to go inside a man-made building in another city to look at some of it in a tank under artificial light to REMEMBER that.

There’s a tremendous beauty in every sunrise and every second that I breathe. I guess what I’m trying to say is that that’s the lesson in today. As captivating as those magical fishies were, the world right outside my front door is just as remarkable. I just need to look a little harder.