At the end of my stay in Namibia, Africa a few of my teammates and I got to go on a safari/game drive. That morning in the car I prayed for the opportunity to see a lion. Before we were even at the lodge to meet our driver we saw three beautiful lionesses. They were captivating! Absolutely queens of their land! After a short time admiring them from a distance I was so excited and in awe of the Creator. Once getting to the lodge we met our field guy, jumped in the safari truck and headed out. He informed us that he had seen a few lions that morning and we told him about the three we had seen on the way in. Just shortly after these words left our mouths we turned a corner to find a lioness visiting the new lion in the rehabilitation area. She was on our left and the young strapping new male was on our right. Since he was behind an electric fence we were no more than 10 feet away from him. He didn’t like the field guy standing up in the truck to tell us a little more about him since he had never seen a human in an upright position before. But he didn’t seem to mind him all that much and laid back down while we asked questions and took pictures. In that moment I found myself mesmerized by his beauty! He was elegant, dangerous, authoritative, yet peaceful. I looked into his eyes and he looked right back into mine and fear washed over me, but it was a fear I was somewhat familiar with. It was just fresher, deeper and more loving. What kind of fear of a lion would be familiar to me? I have only seen a handful of lions and they have all been in too small of cages that made me sad. And how can fear be loving? But as we held our gaze into each other’s eyes for less than 30 seconds I understood that it was the reflection of the Creator, both his and mine, which was within him that I feared and was all too familiar to me. It was the reflection of the Father’s heart that is elegant, dangerous, peaceful, fresh, deep, has authority, and loves, yet to be feared! In that moment I caught a glimpse of the Lion of Judah (Rev. 5:5). I won’t fully meet the Lion in this life, but the lion I did meet displayed Him well.
Africa has a beautiful culture where almost everyone knows the English translation or meaning of their name. Like “Mapalo” meaning blessings. Others meaning gracious or precious, and since being on the Race I not only discovered the meaning of mine, which is “beloved”, I have also taken interest in the meaning of names. As we drove away from the lion I asked our field guy what this new lion’s name was. Quickly stopping the truck and standing up to explain, he informed us that he is referred to as “the wild lion” because he has not yet been named. He taught us that lions are named after characteristics that they display on their markings. He gave examples about two brothers were named Goldy and Shadow because of the beautiful gold mane one has and the black that looks like a shadow around the other’s face. Also the African name of one is translated to “something beautiful” because if you see her with her two sisters, which we did, she is something beautiful compared to them. After a great day seeing elephants, hippos, giraffes, wild dogs, and crocodiles I laid in my tent looking through all the pictures I had taken. As I looked at the ones of the wild lion I noticed the black streak that went down the middle of his head and into his mane. I thought to myself “he should be named Mohawk and be called Mo for short”. A few days later, once having wifi, I emailed the reservation and explained that I had recently done a game drive and met their and my new friend, the wild lion. I then told them that after looking at pictures and learning how lions are named he should be called Mohawk and Mo for short because of the black line down his head and into his mane. Just a few days later I got an email back from the park saying they loved the name idea and plan to start calling him that!
So even though my new friend Mo isn’t your average kind of friend, meeting this guy gave me fresh eyes on fearing the Lord! Being 10 feet from him with one meek- looking electric fence between us, allowed me to be mesmerized by the beauty in his eyes. And as he gazed back at me he pierced my heart with the fierceness within him that so beautifully reflects his and my Creator! If there is one thing I have learned and taken with me from Africa is that it is fierce; it has a way of bringing out the fierceness that lies within me but I have yet to own. One way Mr. Webster defines “fierce” is “being marked by unrestrained zeal”. There is zeal for the Lord and His Word that lies within me with no limits or restrictions. Fierceness that scares my flesh and the world that comes into contact with it. Fierce. We can always learn if we are willing to be taught. I will never forget Mo or the lesson he taught me about the fear of God and fierceness that lies waiting in each of us.
Heavenly Father,
Thank you for lions. Thank you for the reflection of fierce beauty that they carry. Thank you for the ability to admire such breathtaking elegance in which you have created. Lord, let my heart continue to be overwhelmed by you and your heart. I pray my heart is always eager and thirsty to learn more about you in any and everyway. I pray to fear you more than man and to own the fierceness that resides within me because of the word you have begun in me! Thank you Jesus for loving me and being in relationship with me! I love you and praise you for your mighty work on the cross. All of this I pray in your sweet name. Amen.
“Aslan is a lion- the Lion, the great Lion.” “Ooh” said Susan. “I’d thought he was a man. Is he-quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion”…”Safe?” said Mr Beaver …”Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.” ? C.S Lewis, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
