daughter declared it a perfect afternoon for visiting the zoo. She is here visiting—that’s her on the left. I point that out because I didn’t want you to have trouble figuring out which one was me. We look so much alike, I thought it could be confusing. Anyway, we decided a trip to the Topeka Zoo was in order. I truly could not remember the last time I’d been there, but it had been a long time.I always have mixed emotions when I visit zoos. I’m delighted by the opportunity to see animals I might only view on television or in a movie, but I also feel sorry for them and wonder how they must feel in their confined quarters with hundreds of people strolling by to stare at them. Knowing how different their lives could have been outside of captivity, always gives me pause. The giraffes appeared pretty content, and the little black bear climbing a tree didn’t seem to mind his habitat too much. I can’t say the same for one of the eagles—from the look in that bird’s eyes (which you really can't see in my tiny picture), I wanted to keep my distance. I thought of the beauty of seeing eagles soar and then looked at the size of the bird’s cage. He’d never soar. In fact, he’d never truly fly. There was little doubt he was angry. On the other hand, his counterpart, a much larger eagle appeared unaffected by the cage. He seemed willing to accept his lot in life—he’d adapted.
Those eagles reminded me that we’re much that way. When faced with a problem, there are those who lean on the Lord and face their difficulties head-on. Others are angry and unwilling to acknowledge, adapt or change. I must admit that during my life, I’ve tried both ways. I can attest to the fact that acceptance and leaning on the Lord has always provided a more pleasant outcome. There’s no problem that He can’t see us through if we’ll only learn to lean on Him.
I’m still not certain about zoos, but I’m thankful for God’s wondrous imagination and creativity that continue to delight me.May you always delight in His handiwork. ~Judy
Loved the pics, Judy, and your analogy. Also enjoyed seeing your daughter again. She's the one on the right. Right? :)
ReplyDeleteShe's so lovely. It was a pleasure to meet her last year at ICRS. What a doll! Glad you gals had that time together.
Thanks for sharing this post, Judy...and I completely agree about the zoo animals. You cannot help but feel sad for them being "captive" (I've always wondered what goes through the animals' minds as the humans are staring and pointing at them.)~ Enjoyed your analogy also (as Tammy said!) and reminder about leaning on the Lord. ~ Blessings, Patti Jo :)
ReplyDeleteBeautiful post, Judy. So many times I've faced a situation with the same attitude your angry-eyed eagle did. What a wonderful reminder to lean on the Lord instead!
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks for pointing out who was who in the top photo. I was struggling there for a moment. ;-)