´e Tutto Buono... It's All Good: The influence of a Grain of Sand...

The Kalahari desert is an incredible, vast, semi-arid desert that stretches through Botswana, Namibia and parts of South Africa. It covers over 360,000 square miles of the southern part of the African Continent. The Kalahari sand dunes compose the largest continuous expanse of sand on earth. It is the second biggest desert in African (the Sahara, of course, is the biggest). It is a semi-arid desert, meaning portions of the Kalahari region receive an average rainfall of 75-250mm a year, greater than the minimum requirements for a true desert. This makes the vegetation thicker in some areas. The western portion of the Kalahari that lie within Namibia contain enormous sand dunes and is very dry. As you travel farther eastward into the Kalahari, it becomes more of what they call the "green Kalahari" ( i.e. it contains more vegetation).

Somewhere, in some of my readings early in life (probably National Geographic) I had read about this desert and was enraptured. I have always wanted to go visit this amazing place. And last year, I was lucky enough to be able to see that dream fulfilled. We visited two different sections, The Okavango Delta in Botswana and a place called Tswalu in South Africa. In Botswana, we visited the very wet portion of the Kalahari where the river drained into the desert. Tswalu, however, was vastly different.

Tswalu is nestled at the foot of the Korannaberg Mountian range in the western part of South Africa, not far from the border of Namibia. The topography is diverse, with a backdrop of the Korannaberg mountains, along with vast open savannah's. However, it was the red rolling sand dunes that made the landscape so visually stunning! The iron oxide contained within these sands give them their brilliant burnt red color. These sands lay in beautiful contrast to the green of the camel thorn trees and the bright golden lights of the savannah grasses. This place is truly one of the most magnificently alluring places I have ever been.

I began to observe that while the red sand covered the dunes and part of the savannah's, it did not cover the mountainsides. So I asked our guide why the soil in the mountains wasn't red, and here is her answer. The red sands were not native to this part of the Kalahari, they had been blown in by vast winds from Namibia. and as more and more sand blew in throughout the years, they formed the rolling sand dunes at the foot of the mountains.

And this brings me to my title... The Influence of a Grain of Sand. It is interesting to think about. One tiny red grain of sand wouldn't be enough to turn these vast Savannah's red. But, combine one tiny red grain of sand with another, and yet another, and yet another... and they begin to influence the habitat around them, turning a once brown landscape red.

Now we can compare ourselves to these grains of sand. As one single, solitary person, our grain of sand will have a limited influence on the landscape around us. Listen, the limitation of that influence doesn't mean that you don't have any influence at all, just know that there is a limit to what one person can do on their own. But just stop and think, for a moment, about the influence multiple grains of sand can have when combined together. When this happens, the whole landscape starts to change. But it all starts with a grain of sand, willing to be blown into the landscape, and daring to be different than the other grains of soil surrounding it.

The thing about influence is that it can be positive or negative. There is a reason that the Kalahari sand dunes in Namibia are fairly devoid of vegetation. The sand there contains very little nutrients. The sands do not retain water. The sand shifts with the wind, smothering items beneath it. The sands in Namibia basically overwhelm much of the vegetation, smothering out opportunities for growth.

However, the sand that has blown into the Tswalu area has done something different. It has mingled with the rich soil that was already there. It has not overwhelmed everything in it's path, instead it has contributed to the beauty of the place. It has enriched the environment by adding the mineral, iron oxide. You see, the chemical Iron Oxide purifies water, a resource vital for growth in any living thing. This has allowed vegetation to grow in this semi-arid area, vast amounts of it, providing food and shelter for the diverse wildlife that call this habitat home.

And so, here's the point of all this. We were meant to have influence over our landscape. But we need to make sure that we are having the right kind of influence. The kind of influence that brings beauty, life, and growth to our section of space, not the type that smothers all growth around us until we are surrounded by a dead arid desert. Not surprisingly, the Bible actually has a lot to say about how we should influence those around us. Some of what it says might surprise you. Here are just a few of the scriptures:

"Respect the authorities, whatever their level; they are God's emissaries for keeping order. It is God's will that by doing good, you might cure the ignorance of the fools who think you're a danger to society. Exercise your freedom by serving God, not by breaking the rules. Treat everyone you meet with dignity. Love your spiritual family. Revere God. Respect the government." I Peter 2:13-17 the message

"Real wisdom, God's wisdom, begins with a holy life and is characterized by getting along with others. It is gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings, not hot one day and cold the next, not two-faced. You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor." James 3:17-18 the message

"Refuse to get involved in inane discussions; they always end up in fights. God's servants must not be argumentative, but a gentle listener and a teacher who keeps cool, working firmly but patiently with those who refuse to obey. You never know how or when God might sober them up with a change of heart and a turning to the truth." 2 Timothy 2:23-25 the message

"Warn them before God against pious nitpicking, which chips away at the faith. It just wears everyone out. Concentrate on doing your best for God, work you won't be ashamed of, laying out the truth plain and simple." 2 Timothy 2:14-15 the message

So, our challenge, and in today's environment I admit it is a big challenge, is what kind of influence are we going to have on our landscape? Are we going to be an influence that brings clean water, growth, and life? Or are we going leave behind a barren arid landscape, devoid of life, without difference-- each sand dune looking much like the next. Pretty to look at in some types of light, but barren.

I'll leave you with a few more photos of the stunning Green Kalahari.....