Deeply Rooted: Gratitude, Joy, and Camel Thorn Trees

 

This is the Namib Desert.  It is located in the African country of Namibia and is the oldest desert on planet Earth. It also contains some of the most arid areas on the planet.  Due to the Benguela current and  the dry air of the Hadley Cell, the Namib Desert receives less than .39 inches of rain annually and is almost completely barren.  The Namib Desert covers over 30,000  square miles and contains some of the tallest sand dunes in the world, some of which are 328 yards high and 20 miles long.  It's desolate, and it's also beautiful.

This is a Camel Thorn Tree.  A fairly big Camel Thorn Tree.  And guess where it's growing?  In the Namib Desert.  And not only is it growing, it's thriving.  In some of the harshest, driest conditions on earth, this tree is doing just fine.  And, while we were visiting the Namib Desert, they were in the middle of a 7 year drought.  Which means that they hadn't received much, if any,  measurable rainfall.  In fact our guide said that they hadn't had any measurable rainfall in a few years.

So how does this tree survive here?  It has several adaptations that allow it to grow in this dry climate.  The light color thorns and leaves reflect the sunlight, helping to keep the tree cool.  Camel Thorns also have what are called Bipinnate leaves, which can close up when hot, thus keeping them from being scorched by the sun.  But what really allows the Camel Tree to not only survive, but also thrive in the desert is their taproot system.  Camel Thorn Trees can send their roots over 200 feet below the earth to find deep water sources.  Not only does this root system bring much needed water and nutrients to the trees, it also makes them extremely stable and hard to tip over.  Very cool tree, huh?

I'll circle back to the Camel Thorn in a minute and hopefully tie all my thoughts together.  But for now lets make a leap over to Advent.  This weeks Advent candle symbolizes joy, and so this week I have been thinking about that word and what it means to me, and to others during Christmas.  And I couldn't help but think about people I know who are personally struggling right now with grief, or illness, or a whole host of other very real and hard life issues that make having and finding joy hard.  The news certainly tries to suck all the joy out of my day, not a lot of joyful stories happening there either.  Joy just seems to be hard to find and hold on to right now for so many people.  And yet, in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-17 it says,

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances;  for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."

Ok, so God's will is for us to have joy in all circumstances, but how do we do that?  How do we have joy in the midst of our own personal desert, when there's no water or relief to be found?  Which brings me back, sort of, to the Camel Thorn Tree and some life lessons that we may be able to learn from this tree.  

The first lesson is based around location.  You see, the Camel Thorn Tree's circumstances do not need to change in order for the tree to thrive.  The tree never leaves the dry desert... it's location or circumstance isn't changed, and yet it has found ways to flourish in spite of the harsh environment.  I think we often put parameters around joy by telling ourselves that joy cannot be had or found in our present circumstances or location.  That joy is dependent upon a change in the situation.  But in the scripture above God clearly states that joy or rejoicing shouldn't be tied to our circumstances.   

Which brings me to the second lesson from the Camel Thorn Tree of being deeply rooted.  The Camel Thorn Tree digs it's roots deep into the earth--seeking, looking, and searching out every drop of life giving water it can find.  And here is where I am asking you to take a little leap with me and imagine that you and I are like a Camel Thorn Tree planted in a dry desert and that the "water" we are seeking is really gratitude.  You see, the foundation of joy is gratitude.  

So we need to be like the Camel Thorn Tree, and send out our roots deep-- looking for-- seeking gratitude and joy.  For me, this means that I actively look for things to be grateful for.  For example, during a particularly hard time in my life when I was struggling finding joy, I decided to write down 5 things I was grateful for during the day (I usually did this at night).  Some days my list felt pitifully simple.  It would consist of small things like noticing a pretty flower blooming,  getting in the short line at the grocery store, spending a few minutes snuggling with my cat.  But what this simple little practice did was teach me to actively look for things to be grateful for.  And once I made that shift, my lists grew bigger, and so did my joy.  It also taught me that gratitude and joy can come from small, seemingly insignificant things.

Which brings me to the final Camel Tree Lesson of stability and health.  You see, not only does a deep root system bring life giving nourishment to the tree, it also makes the tree strong, able to withstand the strong winds and storms it may face.  I think we often diminish the important role joy  (and gratitude) plays in our lives.  We think of it more as a fleeting feeling rather than a deep foundational requirement to living the full life God wants for us.  In fact, there are several scriptures about the important role joy and gratitude have in a Christ filled life.

Philippians 4:8-9 states,

"Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious--the best, not the worst;  the beautiful, not the ugly;  things to praise, not things to curse.  Put into practice what you learned from me,  what you heard and saw and realized.  Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies."  The Message

Nehemiah 8:10 states.

"The joy of the Lord is your strength."

and Proverbs 17:22 says,

"A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones."

God desires that we have an abundant life.  And joy is an important part of that fulness He's talking about.  But like all good things, joy is something that we often have to work for.  It doesn't always come easy.  And it sure feels like the world ( and life in general) works overtime to steal our gratitude and joy.  When my mom was fighting cancer, I know she had to work hard to find her joy.  She wrote pretty honestly in some of her journals about that battle.  And in spite of her circumstances, she found gratitude and joy.  And that joy gave her strength.  

One final note about the Camel Thorn Tree.  Because they are able to find deep sources of nourishment due to their root system, they are able to flower and bear fruit in even the harshest of circumstances.  And those flowers and seed pods then feed several animals and thus help sustain life around the dessert.  Did you know that joy is a fruit of the spirit?  And that your joy can not only be a source of strength for you but for others around you?

If you are reading this, and are feeling like you have lost your joy, I hope this encourages you to start seeking out small moments of joy and gratitude.  And my prayer for you is that those small moments begin to bind together into a deep root system that provides you nourishment and strength, and that you become deeply rooted in the joy of the Lord.  Joy to the world, the Lord has come!  Merry Christmas to you all!

I'll leave you with a few more photos of the stunning beauty of the Namib Desert.

Scary Stories: Hyenas and Fear and Gratitude revisited..

 

It's been a little over 6 years since I wrote the blog about Hyena's and what they taught me about beauty and gratitude.  Maybe it's the time of year, Thanksgiving is over and we are heading into Christmas-- both holidays instill a sense of extra gratitude into everyday life.  Maybe it's because even though my mom has been gone for 4 years now, her loss is felt deeper during the holidays.  And maybe it's because I have people who are dear to me going through some really hard stuff,  and I find myself praying extra hard for God to help them.  But whatever the reason, I've been thinking about gratitude in the midst of life.... and how very hard it is sometimes to be grateful.  

And that brings me to one of what I call my scary Bible stories.  It's the story of Job.  And this story, for whatever reason, has always been a kind of scary one to me.  Kind of like those creepy nursery rhymes we all learned when we were little and didn't understand what we were reading.  Then we grew up and were kind of mortified to discover the meaning behind some of the "rhymes."    So to hopefully do this story justice let's start with the story in the Bible.  

"In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job.  This man was blameless and upright;  he feared God and shunned evil.  He had seven sons and three daughters.  He was the greatest man among all the people of the East.  His sons used to take turns holding feasts in their homes, and they would invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them.  When a period of feasting had run it's course, Job would send and have them purified.  Early in the morning he would sacrifice a burnt offering for each of them, thinking, Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.  This was Job's regular custom."    Job 1: 1-2, 4-5

So the story starts out in a good way.  There's this guy Job, who is wealthy, but he's a really good guy.  I mean, it says he is blameless and that he honors God.  He does everything he is supposed to do and he does it in the right way.  But then the villain shows up (Satan) and the story takes a dark turn.  God points out Job and his faithfulness.  And in my brain it's almost like Satan dares God to place a bet on Job's goodness.  He (Satan) argues that of course Job is blameless, because it's easy to be faithful to God when life is good.  Satan makes the argument that Job's faithfulness to God is  shallow and would go away if all of his blessings went away.  And God takes the bet.  He gives Satan free range to take everything from Job, everything but his life.

And this is the beginning of the scary part of the story.  Job loses everything.  His wealth, his children, his influence, his friends, and even his health.  What I find interesting is Job's response to the news of the loss of his wealth and children:

"At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head.  Then he fell to the ground in worship and said:  Naked I came from my mother's womb and naked I will depart.  The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.  In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing."  Jobe 1:20-22

Wow!  What a response.  I would love to say that I would respond the same way.  I have my doubts.  I am not on Job's level. At all.  But while I was admiring Job's response I found  this passage in Job that I know I have read several times before, but it stood out to me this time.  In Job 3:25 Job states, " What I feared has come upon me; what I dreaded has happened to me."  Huh.  I guess in all the times I have read and studied this story, I never once thought about Job having fears before all the bad stuff.  But then I re-read verses 4-5 in chapter one, you know, the ones where Job offered sacrifices for his children, in case they sinned?  That sounds like a worried parent, maybe even a parent who had fears around his children.  

Ok, so now I  have to realign my narrative of this scary story.  Although Job was a righteous and blameless man, he was still very human, and he had FEARS.  And yet, even though he had fears, he was still considered blameless.  Okay.  

What do you fear?  I personally have a lot of them, if I think about it.   Most of what I fear is not crippling,  and some of the things I fear are not based on rational or even plausible things.  A silly example of what I fear:  We once watched this show about cave diving, people who dive with oxygen tanks in underwater caves.  While watching this show one of the divers got stuck while swimming through a narrow passage.  There was all this drama  about this person getting un-stuck before their oxygen in the tank ran out.  Once they finally managed to get this individual unstuck, there was still the concern about them having enough oxygen  to get to the surface.  I'll admit, before I watched this show, I never had a fear of dying stuck in an underwater cave without oxygen before.  I do now.  But it's a silly fear because I will never, ever, take up the sport of cave diving.  

Six years ago, when I wrote the blog about Hyena's and fear, and gratitude... we were facing the very real fear of my Mom's battle with cancer.  And I would love to say that I was this super Christian through that process.  That I always had peace, that I never doubted God, that I didn't struggle.  But of course I did.  I'm so very human.  And in my mind, not only am I so very human, but I will never be a 'Job."  I will never be able to react like Job did.  How on earth did he do it?

While Job has this incredible faith and hope in God, he's still very human.  And this is what I love about this scary story.  Job doesn't suffer in silence.  He instead cries out to God.  And he's honest about what's happening.  He's honest about his sorrow.  He's honest about his loss.  But he also understands who God is.  And even in his honesty, his anguish, his hardship... Job still looks to God with hope.  

In Job 6:10 he says, "Then I would still have this consolation-- my joy in unrelenting pain-- that I had not denied the words of the Holy One."   In Job 13:15 he says, "Though he slay me, yet I will hope in him."  In Job 14:14 he says "I will wait for my renewal to come."  In Job 23:10 he says, "He knows the way I take; when he has tested me I will come forth as gold."  Again and again, despite his circumstances, despite others telling Job a different story, Job returns and clings to what he knows of God's nature.  

And for me, that's what turns this scary story into one of the most hopeful stories in the Bible.  You see, Job knew God.  Job understood not only the nature of God, but he also understood his own unworthiness.  He understood that God was all powerful, all knowing, Holy, and deserving of our praise.  Job understood that even he, who was considered as blameless by God, was born  a sinner in need of being saved by God.  Job understood that even if he died during all of these trials, he would still gain something so much more, an eternal life with God in heaven.  Job placed value in the right places.  It doesn't mean he didn't value his wealth, he just didn't value it more than his relationship with God.  It doesn't mean that he didn't value his family,  he obviously valued his children so much that he took it upon himself to intercede with God for them by offering up sacrifices on their behalf.  That's a lot of work and time and effort -- to make a sacrifice for each child-- he greatly valued his children.  But there was only one God in Job's life.  

Job not only placed God as the head of his life, he also spent time with God.  It says he was totally devoted to God.  We know he made regular sacrifices to God.  I think it is safe to assume that he prayed to God regularly and often.  In Job 23:11-12 Job says, " My feet have closely followed his steps;  I have kept his way without turning aside.  I have not departed from the commands of his lips;  I have treasured the words of his mount more than my daily bread."  He actively sought to know God.  So when Job's "friends" came to him, trying to tell him things about God that were untrue?  Job had a relationship with God to fall back on.  He could hold onto his hope because he trusted what he already knew about God.  

So that's just a simple taste of how Job made it through the utter devastation of his life.  How he lived through and faced one of the greatest fears of his life.  Job placed God as first in his life.  Job actively sought to know and understand who God is and what His will was for his life.  And he clung to what he knew about God's nature.  I am by no means a scholar or a teacher.  I will be the first to admit that there's a lot more buried in this story for me to learn.  I'll keep reading this story.

So, I am writing all of this to hopefully encourage you.  I know it's encouraging to me.  I still have fears.  Life is still life, and sometimes it's hard and seems unfair.  I stumble.  I doubt.  I am hopeful.  And I can still be joyful.  Through it all.  I have a God who sees it all.  I have a God who sees me, all of me, and still loves me.  I am still so very human.  But He is still so very God.  And the best news of all?  You have the same God that I do.  You have the same access that I do.  And I can tell you that He is a good God, even when life isn't good.  

And I saved the best part of the story for the end.  Job 42: 5 records some of that last words that Job spoke,  "My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you."  This man, who knew God like no one else did, who clung to the hope he knew he had in God, acknowledges that he still had a lot to learn about God and who He is.  It says that the Lord blessed the latter years of Job's life more that the first. And the last line in the book of Job says he died an old man with a full life.

In 2019, I had the opportunity to travel back to my beloved Africa.  And I was able to spend some more time with one of my favorite animals, the Hyena.  I am still fascinated by them, still amazed by them, and yes, still house a healthy fear of them.  My mom died later that year after her nearly 15 year battle with cancer.  One of my greatest fears realized... and yet I am still grateful.  I can still see the beauty in the middle of the pain.  Her funeral was standing room only-- and a lot of those in attendance were those she had touched and ministered too after she was diagnosed with cancer.  Her memorial was not only a celebration of her life, but more importantly it was a celebration of the goodness of God.  People still send me "Verna" stories to this day-- stories about how my mom encouraged them, loved them, showed them the love of God.  It's a good ending to a scary story.  And it's not the end,  I'll see her again one day.  So, I'll leave you with some not so scary photos that I took of Hyena's the year I lost my mom.  I hope you enjoy them.

What Floats Your Boat?

 

 Paros, Greece

Have you ever looked at a boat and wondered how on earth it floated?  The scientific explanation can be found in the Archimedes Principle found in Physics.  The basic, paraphrased version of this principle is this:  An object floats when the volume of water displaced is equal or greater than the weight of the object.  Ok, I can mostly follow that logic.  So, out of curiosity I looked up (googled) the heaviest ship--it's a ship called the Pioneering Spirit and it weighs in at a whopping 403,342 Gross Tonnage.  That's a heavy ship!  And it floats!  It really is an amazing feat of naval architecture.  And yet, conditions must be just right in order for a boat or ship to float.

What happens to a boat that is overburdened with weight?  It sinks.  I shouldn't have to explain to you that holes in a ship are bad and can lead to a boat sinking.  And if the ship gets tipped over by the wind?  You guessed it, it sinks.

And here is where I am making the leap from this broad idea of boats and ships sinking and floating, to a practical analogy about life and how to stay afloat, so to speak.  I hope this encourages you today.  I know it has encouraged me.

If we are going to talk about floating, we also need to talk about sinking.  What causes a boat to sink? According to the Coast Guard the three leading causes of ships sinking are human error, a rift in the hull usually caused by a collision, and stormy weather. Hmmmm....

Sometimes in life we are sinking because our own decisions added extra weight to our boat. The additional burden may come from being over committed, carrying more cargo that your ship can handle.  It could be that you are carrying cargo that you were never designed to carry.  A small sailboat is designed to carry people, not big cargo containers.  

Other times the ship is sinking because there's a rift in the hull. Sometimes the hole in the boat is because we have traveled off course and collided with something. Sometimes our life choices can be corrosive and cause holes to form.   And while the right kind of friendships and relationships can help lift your boat and keep it afloat, the wrong kind of relationships can tear holes in your hull.  

"Do not be mislead;  bad company corrupts good character."  1 Corinthians 15:33

"Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm."  Proverbs 13:20

And I think we are all aware that life can be full of storms that we have no control over.  We didn't cause them, they just suddenly showed up, causing waves to crash over the sides of our boat, filling the hull with water.  Fierce storms that bring strong winds that threaten to tip us over on our side and sink us.

Have you ever watched something sink?  Sometimes it happens quickly.  When you throw a rock in the water it immediately sinks to the bottom.  But most of the time, sinking is a slower process. What usually happens is that water starts to get in slowly, a little at a time, causing the boat to slowly gain weight and begin to sit lower and lower in the water. Eventually there is a tipping point,  the point at which there is a shift and the added weight of the water makes the boat too heavy to float.  At that point, the sinking process speeds up.  

It seems to me, and many others I have had conversations with, that life lately can feel very heavy.   All around I see people who are walking around trying to single handedly carry the burdens and weight of life, taking  on water, and feeling like they are on the tipping point and about to sink.  I have been there at times myself.  Let me just state right now that this idea of bearing the weights, burdens, and sorrows of this world by ourselves, on our own, is not God's plan.  In fact, God's whole plan for us is built on a principle of dependence, not independence. And God has provided us with solutions to lighten the load and keep our boats afloat.

The problem with added weight in our lives is that we are often embarrassed to acknowledge it to anyone, even God.  We view our struggle with the weight as a weakness.  And I am here to tell you that it is a weakness, but one that all humans have in common.  We are all weak, but we have a BIG STRONG God who is willing to help us with the burdens and weight of this world, even if it is a self-inflicted burden.   But don't take my word for it, listen to what the Bible says:

"Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you."  Psalm 55:20

"The Lord sustains all who fall and raises up all who are bowed down."  Psalm 145:14

"Fear not, for I am with you, be not dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you, yes I will help you.  I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."  Isaiah 41:10

All we have to do is ask for God's help.  Seems simple, right?  Then why is it sometimes so very hard?  It's not like we are hiding anything from God.  It's not like He doesn't already know what is going on.  Sometimes it's a matter of pride, feeling like I should be able to handle this myself.  Sometimes it's a matter of shame,  because we know that we are the cause of this added weight due to our own poor decisions.  And sometimes it's because we feel like this weight is too small of a problem to bring before God.  The scriptures above offer us compelling instructions on how to handle the burdens of this world.  God is offering his help to us regardless of why we need the help.   All we need to do is ask for Help.

 Isaiah 30:18  says,

"Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you;  therefore he will rise up to show you compassion."

That word... LONGS ...  it means yearns, pines, craves, eagerly, aspires, aches.  So you could say:

God yearns to be gracious to you

God pines to be gracious to you

God is craving to be gracious to you

God is eager to be gracious to you

God aspires to be gracious to you

God aches to be gracious to you

We can trust God to help us.  He knows every good and bad thing about us and yet He still longs to help.  That is so encouraging! God wants to help us!  When I ask God for help, He always shows up.  And His comfort is soul deep, life changing, and life affirming.  I can go to God feeling so heavy that it feels like I can barely lift my head, and He has a way of easing my burdened soul.  My circumstances my not have changed, but the way I am carrying them has.  I'm not carrying the load alone.  My boat would not be floating without God's help.

And God provided another way to help us with the weight of the world with this amazing concept of friendship.  We crave and need companionship, friendship, and relationship.  Let's go back to the concept of floating and weight for just a moment... the principle of displacement of water... which in it's most simplistic meaning refers to  the concept that an object floats when the weight force on the object is balanced by the upward push of the water on the object.  That concept ties directly with one of the key principles of friendship that God laid out for us in the Bible.  Friends are meant to help balance us and provided us an upward push.  Here are a few scriptures about friendship in the Bible:

"Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ."  Galatians 6:2

"Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor.  If either of them falls down, one can help the other up."  Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

"A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born of a time of adversity."  Proverbs 17:17

 

Again, a seemingly simple answer, but oh so hard for us to do.  It is hard for us to share our burdens with others for some of the same reasons we struggle sharing them with God:  pride, shame, feeling like our issue is too small.  But this solution of sharing our burdens with others also feels riskier... because it involves trusting in another person who is just as weak and fallible as you are.  It's much easier to trust God with your burdens, there's not as much vulnerability in admitting something to a God who we inherently know already understands and is aware of the ins and outs of the situation.  Nothing is hidden from God.   But other people?  We keep a lot hidden from other people.  Asking for help puts us in a vulnerable position.  It goes back to that principle of God's kingdom being built on dependence, not independence.  But I can tell you from personal experience that there have been many times in my life where friends have come alongside me when I was taking in water and on the verge of sinking and they have lifted me up, and helped me to float instead of sink. But I had to be willing to put out the distress call.  They have helped carry the burden by praying with me and for me.  They have shown up and sat with me in my grief.  They have listened.  They have given me good advice.  They have cried with me.  They have encouraged me.  They have reminded me that I am not alone.  My boat would not be floating without help from my friends and family.

So I wrote all this to encourage you and to encourage myself.  When life is heavy, and your boat feels like it is sinking, there is help.  All you have to do is ask for it.  You were meant for dependence on God and others.  You do not have to bear the weight on your own.

I hope this encourages you, comforts you, and helps you.  And this week I hope your boat floats!  I'll leave you with an old  Irish Sailors Blessing and a few more boat photos.

There are good ships,

And there are wood ships,

The ships that sail the sea.

But the best ships,

Are friendships,

And may they always be.

 Marseille, France

Capri, Italy

Capri, Italy

Mykonos, Greece

Dubrovnik, Croatia

Croatia

Venice, Italy

Schinousa, Greece

Greece

Distinctly Different and Purposefully Created

 

A few opening comments before I dive right into this blog. I have taken a VERY long break from writing.  In fact, I thought I might be done with that season, and yet I find myself writing this today.   I am writing this as a result of a recent conversation with someone dear to me.  This conversation birthed this particular blog.  So this one is for you, dear loved one, you know who you are. Here we go....

I'm sure that I do not have to identify the animals in the above photograph taken on a trip to the Kalahari Desert in South Africa.  Giraffe are one of those animals that are immediately recognized by all.  And part of what makes them so recognizable is that they are a distinctly different looking animal.  In fact, Geraldine Jewsbury said, 

"Did you ever see a giraffe?  It is like something from between regions of truth and fiction."

Upon first look, the Giraffe does not "fit in" with the rest of animals it is surrounded by.  They stick out like sore thumbs, with their long, gangly looking legs and stretched out necks.  They have these long skinny tails that end in a strange puff of rough fur.  Their faces are long and triangular, giving them an almost comical look.   And when they open up their mouth they have this crazy looking long, dark tongue.  They have a tendency to drool.  A lot.  They eat differently, sleep differently, and, due to their height, they see things differently than most of the other animals around them.

In spite of their long neck, they actually can't reach the ground to graze or to drink water without awkwardly splaying their legs, bending their knees, and craning their neck forward.  It's as uncomfortable as it looks, not only because of the effort this takes, but also because it leaves the Giraffe completely vulnerable to attack from a predator.  To make matters worse, due to the distance between the heart and the brain, this position requires their heart to work extra hard to pump the blood where it needs to go.  

And these gangly, knobby kneed, awkward looking animals are placed in Africa and surrounded with arguably some of the most beautiful  animals in the world.  Like the dainty, sleek, pretty faced Gazelles.  Or the speedy and agile Springboks who can run 55 mph and leap over 6 feet into the air.  Don't forget the the supple grace and stunning beauty of a Leopard.  Being surrounded by that type of beauty and talent would be enough to give anyone a complex.

One might look at the Giraffe and wonder if God was thinking clearly when he got around to creating them.  One might even wonder if mistakes were made. Maybe the Giraffe was a design flaw, because it is definitely not like the others.

Which brings me to this question, have you ever felt like a Giraffe surrounded by Gazelles, Springboks, and Leopards?  Have you ever felt like you see the world from a different point of view than others? I know I have.  I know I have been in group settings where my interests, skill sets, activities, and views were vastly different than everyone else.   It can be especially awkward if everyone else seems like they are  all aligned in interests and activities and you find that you are the Giraffe, sticking out and different.  I'm going to circle back to this, but let's return to our Giraffe story, because there's more to unpack and learn about our animal friend.

Giraffes are the tallest land Mammal on earth.  Their height makes them stick out, but it also gives them a fabulous advantage, in that they can see over trees and bushes that many other animals can't.  They also have superb eyesight and can see long distances.  The combination of height and keen eyesight makes them excellent at spotting trouble, in particular, predators.  They can spot a predator before anyone else has a clue that there is anything wrong.  This makes the Giraffe a desirable companion, and you often find herds of prey animals hanging around the Giraffe, counting on them being an early warning system for predators. 

Because of their height, Giraffes tend to eat the leaves, flowers, and fruit that other herbivores are unable to reach.  This provides several advantages for the Giraffe.  The most obvious is the fact that they usually  can find food, even if the lower branches and foliage have been over-grazed.  But the less obvious advantage is that it allows them to live in harmony with other herbivores because they are not competing with each other for food. 

Are you ready for a few more incredible and unique Giraffe facts?  They are not as reliant on water as some of the other animals are.  In fact, they get a much of their water from the dew on the leaves they eat as well as the leaves themselves.  So they can go a couple of days without water, unlike the Cape Buffalo, who have to drink water every day.  And since they are at their most vulnerable when bending down to drink it is helpful to not have to put themselves into that dangerous position more than necessary.

And let's talk about that drooling problem.  News flash, it's not a problem at all.  Their sticky saliva helps them get their food all the way down that very long neck and into their stomaches.  But the coolest thing about Giraffe spit?  It's a known natural antiseptic.  You see, Giraffe have a taste for Acacia trees, and these trees have known antiseptic qualities, which is then integrated into their saliva.  And this natural antiseptic found in their saliva helps the Giraffe heal any cuts on their tongues and mouth they may get while eating from the very thorny Acacia Trees.  It also helps prevent any infection from settling in. And that crazy looking dark blue tongue?  The dark blue color keeps them from getting sunburn on their tongue.  Unlike most herbivores, their tongue is prehensile, which allows them to grip and strip the leaves off the branches.  Very useful indeed.

Recent research also discovered that Giraffes are pretty smart cookies, despite their relatively small brain size.  In fact, in recent tests Giraffe have shown the  ability to use statistical inferences to increase their likelihood of eating their favorite treat.  They use this reasoning while grazing, searching out ways to get the best food possible. 

And it turns out that Giraffes are not loners, they are just more subtle about their bonds.  In fact,  they have quite complex social structures.  Giraffes form yearslong relationships, have "lunch buddies," and maintain close bonds with their mothers and grandmothers.  Females often form Creches, a type of daycare, where they share babysitting and feeding duties of the calves.  It's also been shown that post-reproductive Giraffes engage in cooperative parenting as well.  This may be where the concept of them being "gentle" came from.

I hope this deeper dive into some Giraffe 'facts" made you to look at them differently. God knew what He was doing when He made the Giraffe.  And He definitely had a plan and purpose for the Giraffe to fulfill in the animal kingdom. A role that no other animal could fill.  And isn't that a perfect picture of how God works, even in the human world?

In fact, the bible is full of "Giraffes" that God used in amazing ways. These were people that stuck out, they were different than anyone else.  They looked different, thought differently, had different interests than the others around them.  People like John the Baptist-- he was certainly a Giraffe.  He wore camel's hair and ate locust and wild honey, he didn't live like or look like anybody else.  And yet he was the one God created with the purpose of preparing the way for the arrival of Jesus.

So to bring this blog to a close, I want to circle back to the question of do you ever feel like a Giraffe?  Sticking out instead of comfortably fitting in? Vastly different than anyone else in terms of interests, skills, activities, and maybe even life experiences?  If so, let me encourage you by saying that God knew exactly what He was doing when He created you. He says so in scripture.

"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."  Ephesians 2:10

""My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth."  Psalm 139:15

"But now, O Lord, you are our Father;  we are the clay, and you are our potter;  we are all the work of your hand."  Isaiah 64:8

And you have been created to fill your spot here on earth.  So, instead of worrying that you are not 'like" everyone else around you, rejoice in the purpose you were specifically created for.  You may not be able to run as fast as the Springboks around you. And you may not be as dainty and pretty as the Gazelles, but your value to the group lies in your differences.  Remember that the Springboks and Gazelles hang around the Giraffe, not because they are the same, but because the Giraffe brings a set of assets and skills that they do not have. The Giraffe is often the one who spots the incoming danger first.  They  hang around the Giraffe because they can live in harmony with others.  The Giraffe isn't interested in competing with the others.   And I would add that I imagine that other animals hang around Giraffes because the Giraffe is tolerant of a variety of different species.

So next time you are feeling out of place, not like the others, awkward, unsure, insecure, I want you to remember the story of the Giraffe.  And just like the Giraffe, you are purposefully created.  You have a role to play. Let your unique features be your strengths, just like the Giraffes.  Don't waste time trying to be like a Gazelle or Springbok, that's not who you were created to be. The Giraffe add value to their community by simply being themselves.  I hope this leaves you feeling encouraged.  And if nothing else, I hope you enjoy some of the photos I took while in Africa.  I'll leave you with a few more.