Springtails and the Emperor

You will be absolutely forgiven if you don’t know what springtails are.  I didn’t know either until a few months ago.  I grew up loving everything about nature and so when the opportunity came to buy a terrarium late last year, I jumped at the chance.  I have never had a terrarium before, so this was an interesting adventure.  A terrarium is an open or closed glass container with a variety of plants.  Closed terrariums circulate the moisture and forms its own ecosystem.  The one I bought was closed. 

One of the first things I noticed about the terrarium was the green mold that started to grow on the inside of the glass - this was not good.  I read up about terrariums and found that springtails were the answer.  They are tiny white insects that eat the mold and other rotting plant material.  They are called the friendly clean-up crew in any closed container that houses plants.  They are about the size of a pinhead and are opaque white, looking a bit like tiny ghosts.  I found an online shop and bought a small batch which I introduced to the terrarium.  It took them a few days to acclimate before I started to see them running on the glass as they were performing their clean-up duties.  I have since purchased another terrarium and had to buy another batch.  

So, what about the emperor?  One of the stories I remember from my childhood was about a rich emperor who had some clothes specially made for him. He was however fooled by the weavers who made the clothes.  They wanted to play on the emperor’s sense of vanity to say that his clothes can only be seen by noble people. The story concluded with the emperor parading his new “clothes” with nothing on, as he didn’t want to admit that he wasn't able to see them.

Back to the springtails. I bought a new batch and received them yesterday.  I opened the small plastic container and poured in water as the little insects weigh so little that they float to the top and can then be scooped out with a spoon and transferred to the terrarium.  I poured in the water and sat there staring but couldn’t see a thing.  I took my spoon and scooped up the invisible little insects so I could transfer them, all the while feeling a bit like the emperor.  Only time will tell if there truly was anything on my spoon.

Why did I write all of this?  Well, I think faith is a bit like this.  We are called to walk by faith and not by sight but also, with most things in the Bible, relationship and knowing God’s character should be centre in our walk.  Our faith in God should be cemented and anchored on what He promised in His Word, but also on past experience where He came through even though it looked like there was no way it can come to pass in the natural.  Past promises fulfilled should be our comfort that we can trust that He will this time also, do what He said He will do.  

I bought springtails from this online store before and had confidence in the seller because last time, even though it didn't look like there was any life in the little container, a few weeks later there they were, happily cleaning the glass.

Heb 10:23: “Let us seize and hold tightly the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is reliable and trustworthy and faithful [to His word]...”

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