Friday, August 11, 2006

Hidden

Many years ago while on a mission trip in Africa, our missionary hosts very graciously sponsored a weekend safari in the wilds of Uganda. The experience was a lot of fun and very educational and while we had quite an adventure that weekend, the one moment that really sticks out in my mind occurred just minutes after leaving base camp on our first day of the safari. As we rounded the corner of the red dirt road, just a few miles away from the outer edge of the preserve, we noticed a family of giraffes ahead. As the Land Rover approached the grouping, the mother and two babies ran in the opposite direction as the fourth giraffe stopped to look at the vehicle. Our guide slowed the SUV as we got closer and the giraffe quickly moved behind the only tree within a couple hundred yards. The tree was about half the size of him and had no leaves on it but he “hid” behind it as we neared. We laughed when he scooted around the tree, straight as a board, as we passed so that we could not “see” him and then once we passed him he bolted after the rest of his group. Thinking back, I can’t help but laugh remembering his stature up against that tree, hiding his long neck meanwhile his big ol’ rear end sticking out about five feet past the tree.

I think many times we, like Adam and Eve, foolishly think that we can “hide” from God, or that by avoiding him we will be “out of reach”. How do you “hide” from God?

Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden. But the LORD God called to the man, "Where are you?"
Genesis 3:8-9


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