Aquarium
One of my pleasures is turning off all the noise (tv, internet) and sitting in my lazy boy and watching my fish tank. I’ve always had a fascination with fish tanks. As a boy, I had a fresh water tank. It was nice but I longed for a salt water tank with all the brightly colored fish and especially a clown fish. I have always loved how clown fish act goofy as they swim and roll in an anemone.
30 some years ago, when we lived a lot closer to an ocean, I bought my first salt water aquarium. We eventually moved and I found myself being stressed to get everything done so when we moved here, I didn’t set up my aquarium. 20 some years later, I retired and decided I finally had time to give it the attention to make it a real success. I rediscovered my love for my salt water world.
I can sit for a long time watching my fish interact and swimming effortlessly through the water. Each fish has a slightly different personality. I believe the word is “anthropomorphism” when you project human descriptions of behavior to animals. As such, each fish has a name. For example, we have a clown tang that is a bully towards the other fish that is named “Bozo”. “Big Momma” is the female maroon clown of a mated pair. “King Barney” is a purple tang.
As you can tell, I could write pages and pages about my learning experiences and observations of my fish tanks but, as I started this, I want to convey that I sit and watch my fish tank to relax, recharge, restore my sanity especially after stressful experiences. But I have other means of restoration such as writing these and studying God’s word. Here are a few promises of restoration that I found for this message:
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.” - Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 ESV
“And he said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” - Exodus 33:14 ESV
“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” - Psalm 23:1-6 ESV
“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.” - 1 Peter 5:6-10 ESV
My fish tank restoration effect is wonderful but temporary at best. Reading God’s word gives me a kind of restoration that stays with me and is there for me when it counts.
