Hello there! It seems like an eternity since I’ve seen many of you. Trust me, my heartache is almost as great as yours. I was hoping to show you all my fantastic tan but that is now rapidly fading!
Time for a story….
I was recently in Belize, staying on an island called Caye Caluker. The island sits right on the edge of the world’s second largest barrier reef, stretching over 200 miles. The island, although now largely dependant on tourism, has still managed to retain some of its natural beauty. On the North of island there are mangroves. One of the locals was telling me that you can still see crocodiles there. In fact, he insisted that at 6:06pm it was possible to see a group of crocodiles swimming past the end of the jetty every evening as they were on their way to feed. Well that got me excited! Intrigued to see the “6:06 crocodiles” I decided to wait for a couple of hours.
I stared through the fading light in search of these reptiles. 6:06 came and went. No sign of the crocs. Disappointed I turned and headed back home, only to see the same guy that had told me about them.
“They weren’t there!”
Oh”, he said. “its not great light tonight, they can be very difficult to see. If you want to guarantee seeing them, you need to go to the bay where the Tarpon fish gather every morning. The crocodiles love to feed there just before the sun comes up. But get there before 5:30 am”.
Determined to catch the sight of this feeding frenzy, I readied my camera, set my alarm and committed to my very early 5:30am appointment.
The water was still, not a sound but a gentle breeze whistling through the mangroves. The sun was just about to rise. I peered over the edge of the jetty into the clear water. Much to my excitement I could see these huge Tarpon fish just as the man had described. And then it came about…
5:30……followed by 5:45…..then 6:00…..and in a state of delusional optimism I waited until 6:30 am! The sun was up. Not a splash, not even a breaking of the water…… “If I ever see that guy again Ill feed him to the crocodiles!”
What a joker! Seemingly I had fallen for the same old story. Just like many an over keen backpacker had before me!
In this crazy time in which we are living it is imperative that we listen to a voice that we can trust. Jesus said that we could know his voice and be guided by him. How tempting is it at this moment for us to be misguided by false news on tv and through social media. Granted we should adhere to government advice. That is the right thing to do. But the fake news stories can just cause us panic, wrestle with our attention and disturb our peace. I suggest disciplining ourselves to the amount of exposure. Instead let’s invest that time listening to a voice who doesn’t mislead. How about we pick up our Bible and listen to what Jesus has to say to us? I find these words particularly encouraging right now.
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord is with you wherever you go”, (Joshua 1:9)
That’s the kind of message I want to “share” or “like”. They’re the words I want to dwell on at this time. Do not tremble or be dismayed. He is for you, not against you. Seek him and open your ears to his voice at this time. God bless,
Mark
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