The Spirit of Tanzania

I spent seven days exploring Tanzania with a guide and my family. We started in Arusha and traveled to Lake Mynamara, Ngorogoro Crater and the Serengeti. We saw all of the Big 5 (lion, cheetah, leopards, rhino, and buffalo), elephants, zebras, giraffes, wildebeest, antelope, impala, hyenas and all kinds of birds and bugs. We met people of the Masaai tribe who lived simpler but no less full lives than ours and looked like relatives. We saw beautiful sunrises, sunsets, a lion climb a tree, an elephant with her baby protect her family, and thousands of animals making the great migration. After seven days of amazing exploration of beautiful land, animals and people I was in awe of God and his handiwork. Several scriptures had greater meaning and better understanding for me :

Ephesians 2:10

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

Matthew 6:25-34 Do Not Worry

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? 28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own

Gods handiwork, provision and purpose for nature, people and animals became clearer over the seven day adventure. A few examples:

The dungbeatle - Its purpose is to eat poop. It goes about its day fulfilling its purpose and eating poop. It’s purpose prevents the land from literally smelling like ****!

The hyena and vultures - These animals are both scavengers. They eat the remains of carcasses. Without them there would be decaying bodies all over the Serengeti.

Elephants - they have feet that are made like shock absorbers so they move silently and don’t alert their enemies despite the several tons they weigh.

Giraffes - their main source of food is from a tree that has leaves but also very think thorns like a rose bush but longer, thicker and stickier ( trust me, I had an incident!) Their tongues are made thick enough that they can eat the leaves without getting harmed by the thorns. The thorns also prevent other animals from consuming their source of food. Mind blown!!!!

So as humans we go through life worried about so many things and constantly trying to figure out our purpose. If God has so purposefully designed nature and the ecosystem, I know he has put the same care in our design and purpose. He has provided provision for us to live fully in that purpose. Maybe all that is required is for us to realize that everything we need for our journey and purpose was determined and provided before we took our first breath and all we need to do is walk in our natural ability and trust Gods favor, grace and power will provide what we need and things beyond our expectations.