Have you ever gone on a scavenger hunt? On these hunts, you look for specific things. This week I’ve been on a scavenger hunt for fossils along the shores of Lake Superior in Michigan. My family has found these fossils on previous trips to Michigan and the Great Lakes area. This trip, I’ve been keeping my eye out while walking along beaches and snorkeling in chilly waters. Yesterday I came across one rock with small crinoid fossils—but what exactly is a crinoid?

 

Crinoids are also called sea lilies because they look like flowers; but they are not plants—they are animals. Crinoids are echinoderms: the same phylum (large category) of animals as sea stars.

 

Crinoids are alive today in oceans around the world. Some live at depths of around 30,000 feet. Some types of crinoids have a tall stalk, resembling a flower stem, and sway in groups on the ocean flower—like wildflowers swaying in a breezy meadow. But remember: crinoids are animals! Their beautiful, feathery arms catch tiny plants, animals, and ocean debris that drift past for them to eat.

 

Many crinoids were rapidly buried in the worldwide flood, which is why we can find many fossils of them today. Michigan is a great place to look for these treasures. Their fossils can resemble threaded screws. You might find long fossils with grooves, or a single ring. Some have star-shaped stems that break apart and create fossilized stars.

Scavenger hunts for rocks, gemstones, and fossils are very fun and help us look closely at God’s creation. Why not research an area close to you where you might be able to find neat rocks or fossils? If you travel to a new area, research ahead of time what you might be able to find.

 

Just as we can go on a scavenger hunt in God’s wild and wonderful world, we can go on scavenger hunts through his written Word, the Bible. Choose a word to look for, maybe: love, hope, peace, salvation, or truth. Use a Bible concordance or online tool like Blueletterbible.com to see where that word is found in Scripture. Perhaps write down the word and verses in a journal. As you go on your scavenger hunt, notice details of Scripture like key characters and themes. Just as we marvel at God’s creation while out looking for natural treasures, we can marvel at his details and goodness found in the Scriptures.

“Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it (study it) day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” 

Joshua 1:8 (NIV)

Dear God, thank you for creating so many creatures for us to find in creation. Help me to look closely at your created world and your written Word, and to marvel at all your works.

Fun Fact:

Crinoids are built in fives. Like other echinoderm, they have five-fold symmetry. Their body parts are built in shapes of five or multiples of five.

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