Alligators are very good at hiding.
While biking on the many trails on our recent beach trip, we encountered several of these guys. The American Alligator is a really a sight to behold. They are direct descendants of the dinosaurs and were close to extinction a couple of decades ago. Through laws to protect them, they have made quite a comeback. They are everywhere there is freshwater, in South Carolina and Florida. They even make their way to swimming pools from time to time.
I wouldn’t have seen this guy if I had been in a car. As it was, I wouldn’t have seen him if I hadn’t really been looking for him. Just after I snapped the photo, he disappeared under the water and was completely invisible. That’s a little bit frightening, if you think about it. He was close to six feet long and he has the ability to be invisible.
This one was hard to see when you stood across the pond from it.
Then there was this one. Any blind man could see him, right? Well, not really. I had the zoom function on my camera. He was actually completely on the other side of a large pond. There were people pointing at it, when I stopped to investigate. My son kept saying, “I don’t see it.” Until he saw it and then he was floored like I was. I repeat, gators are good at hiding.
When we walked down the beach, we saw quite a few of these.
This jellyfish looks shiny and harmless.
It’s small and shiny. If you didn’t know better, you would pick it up. You would make an unpleasant discovery. It stings. Jellyfish are beautiful. Some have gorgeous, long tentacles. They almost glow, but they sting and it’s quite painful. It’s always an effort to avoid jellyfish when I’m in the ocean. They too, are almost invisible in the water.
So what do jellyfish and alligators have in common? When they are in their natural habitat, they are almost invisible and dangerous. They can be harmful to humans who aren’t looking for them and taking care to avoid them.
The earth is full of dangerous things and choices that can harm us. We can easily be stung or harmed or worse, if we don’t keep a watchful eye and guard ourselves. The Bible tells us, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.” Proverbs 3:5
It is popular in our culture to act on our understanding or our emotions. But, the Bible teaches us differently. We have a guidebook for life that will not only keep us safe from the likes of gators and jellyfish, but it will also give us the ability to “soar on wings like eagles,” IF we trust the Lord. Isaiah 40:31
Trusting in God and not in popular culture, gets harder everyday, but it’s something Christians must strive to do. We have to trust that God knows best and know that gators and jellyfish lurk nearby. We don’t need to live in fear, but we have to be watchful and we have to trust in God.
What do you think about not leaning on our own understanding? I’d love to hear from you.
Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂