Have you ever thought about a platypus? This is the casserole of all animals. It looks like God threw all the leftovers in the refrigerator into a pot and out came the platypus. It has the body of an otter, the tail of a beaver, the bill of a duck, venom like a reptile, the sense of its prey like a bat, it lays eggs like a bird and raises its young like a mammal. Even when trying to give it a scientific name there was great confusion. First they named it Platypus anatinus meaning ‘flat-footed duck’, but that name was taken by a beetle. Then they named it Ornithohynchus paradoxus meaning ‘paradoxical bird-snout’. Finally the scientist landed on Ornithohynchus anatinus meaning ‘bird-snouted flat-foot’. What a weird animal!

God may have a sense of humor, but He doesn’t make mistakes. Even the platypus has a purpose in their environment. They control the population of aquatic larvae, shrimp and worms, and keep the ecosystem in balance. The way they burrow into riverbanks helps prevent erosion. And they are considered an indicator species which means that where they are present the freshwater environment is healthy and free from pollution. The casserole meets many needs.

How many times do we look at ourselves or our circumstances and feel like we are in the conglomeration of leftovers like the platypus? How can so many different things come together all at once? What purpose can all of these things serve? Why can’t we handle one thing at a time?

Yet we know that ‘coincidences’ do not exist. All things are for a purpose in God’s plan and they all work together for those of us who are in His will. 

Just like the platypus sifts through the riverbeds and stirs things up, often the jumble of our circumstances causes things hidden to be brought into the light so we can deal with them. Every characteristic gives us fresh insight. The diversity of challenges brings a full facet of understanding as to what triggers us.  

All the circumstances and challenges flowing through our lives give us an indication on how pure our living water is flowing. The stronger we are spiritually and emotionally the less the trials and tribulations can take our peace and joy. Just as the platypus is an indicator of a healthy ecosystem and they rely on stable, high-quality environments, the way we handle the troubles is an indicator of our spiritual and emotional health.

We may look at the challenges and circumstances swirling around us and think, “God, have You put too much on us?” But just as every characteristic of a platypus was planned and on purpose for a reason, so every aspect of every trial is for a reason. God doesn’t make mistakes.

Let’s look at things differently. Even as weird as the platypus is, it’s still a very cute little animal. As hard as the challenges are, there are still good lessons to be learned through them. So we rejoice in all things.