The Shady Side Of Things

shady:

1. Full of shade; shaded.
2. Casting shade: a shady grove.
3. Quiet, dark, or concealed; hidden.

As we walked, my friend and I, we happened upon a small grove of mushrooms on the side of the road. They were remarkable in that they were colorful, and perfectly formed, as if they had been extracted from a children's picture book, or Alice's Wonderland. In all my Mississippi years, I could not recall ever seeing a mushroom in such pristine condition, so full of character.

This caused us to pause and take a closer look. (A bit of a comical sight to passersby, I am certain. A grown woman, on her knees, then, almost laying flat to the ground, to take an up-close gander at the fungus before her - surrounded by two babies in strollers, a five year old, and another adult.)

I poked and prodded, fascinated by what my eyes were viewing. Even the underbelly of this umbrella'd cap was gorgeous! Yet I was disgruntled at myself: I'd left my camera at home. Who knew I'd happen across such a spectacular sight? My normal preparedness mode had been tossed to the wayside, and here I stood, having failed miserably at my preparations' intent. :sigh:

Putting myself aright, we continued on our journey, and, upon returning to the homestead, I scooped up a reference manual or two, looking for any information on the genre of fungi I'd seen. Information was scarce at best; vague, and unfruitful for my inquiring mind. A quick google search net nearly the same amount of information - except for one niggling data item: the only photo I could find that looked remarkably similar to the 'shroom I'd just handled ~ was listed as poisonous.





E - gads!

Could that really be true? I'd not heard anyone discuss poisonous mushrooms in the Deep South. The bane of our existence rallied around the Red Ant population - swarms of which have the potential to bring about demise, or otherwise (and in a general and much more likely scenario) leave one with painful blisters where the little cronies tend to leave their teeth marks.

I didn't know what to think, and had no knowledgeable person to turn to to ask.

Days passed.




Walking yesterday, I spotted a lone mushroom in a yard quite early in the trek. This time, I did not fail to obtain a photographic spy at the rubbery looking thing - including the underbelly . . .the shady side, if you will.


In all it's glory, if a mushroom can be said to have a glory, it stood proud in the outcroppings where it had emerged from its' bed of birth.

What can be said, then, of the little mushroom that hides a secret? That entices one to draw near to take a closer look, only to snare it's victim upon fatal ingestion? The spiritual parallel can be made: there is an escape route from the shady side of life:

When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul; Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep
thee: To deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaketh froward things; Who leave the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness; Who rejoice to do evil, and delight in the frowardness of the wicked; Whose ways are crooked, and they froward in their paths: To deliver thee from the strange woman, even from the stranger which flattereth with her words; Which forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God. For her house inclineth unto death, and her paths unto the dead. Proverbs 2:10-18

Inquiring of the Lord for His wisdom is a beneficial endeavor. With His light, with His instruction, one can gainfully employ wisdom to avoid the pitfalls that accompany our sojourn here.

Today, if you are feeling enticed by something pretty on the wayside, I pray the Lord's wisdom to guide you.

Refrain from the shady side.

Choose Life.