My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning I will direct it to You, and I will look up.—Psalm 5:3 (NKJV)

I checked my phone this morning before I got out of bed. In my social media stream was a video of a goldfish driving a little car that scientists had developed, essentially a rectangular fish tank set on top of four motorized wheels with a bunch of sensors in the front that controlled the steering. 

The scientists in the experiment were surprised that the goldfish mastered the technique of controlling the tank and driving the car in fewer than ten practice sessions through reward reinforcement. But the real message they wanted to get out is not that fish can drive but that they are more complicated than we once thought. 

When I was growing up, I had a brilliant goldfish that I won at a carnival. The night I brought him home, my mom prepared me for the hard truth that he probably would not last. I named him Butch, thinking a strong moniker might help him survive. Perhaps it helped because he grew into the most majestic goldfish, with a goofy and friendly way of greeting me every time I entered the room. 

One of the scientists said that the amazing thing she learned is not that fish can learn to drive but that each one had a unique personality. Some loved the exercises, while others seemed to grudgingly resist. “They really are amazing,” she said. 

Of course, I already knew that God makes everything special. The truly amazing thing is how wonderful it is to live in a world where we discover marvelous things—like goldfish driving cars—before the day even begins.