A year and a half ago, I had the wonderful opportunity to join 7 other Gardner-Webb affiliated people on a mission trip to Tanzania, Africa. Of course, while on this trip I took hundreds of pictures. Unfortunately, I was unable to access any of the pictures on my phone.
You see.. on the final day of the mission trip, we were on our way to the Ngorongoro Crater, when we stopped at the top of a mountain to look down into the Great Rift Valley (by the way, it’s beautiful!). Needless to say, on top of this mountain, as we were peering down below, I dropped my phone and the screen shattered. I could no longer access anything that was on the phone (including all the pictures I had just taken in Tanzania).
A year and a half later, I was still unable to see the pictures that I had taken on that phone…
…until yesterday.
Yesterday, I got a wild hair to try it again. And somehow, by God’s grace and the Google search engine, I was able to transfer ALL the pictures to my computer. Oh man, was it a good day!
My memory hasn’t faded that much in a year and a half, but having these pictures and videos of my time in Tanzania has brought much joy and increased my ability to relive some of the moments we had there.
While I love all the pictures because they remind me of my time there, one picture in particular really stuck out because of what the Lord has been teaching me lately: this picture of two zebras embracing each other.
After ooh-ing and ahh-ing at the sight of these two zebras the day I took this picture, my missions team concluded that they were hugging.
After doing a little research, my love for this picture and this moment we witnessed has only increased. There are several suggestions as to what the zebras are doing. Many say it’s love and that maybe these two are the perfect mate. And while I think that is cute and all, I like what others suggest.
Some say that it may be less about comradery and more about survival.
Imagine a hot and sunny day on the African plain, it’s been a while since the zebra has sipped from the nearest watering hole and it needs to take a break. If the zebra were to sit down, it would be more susceptible to attacks from predators. Lions, cheetahs, etc. could more easily sneak up on them if they lie down. So instead, it rests it’s head on the shoulder of its fellow zebra. Not only does this take some of the weight off their shoulders and necks, it also gives both zebras protection from all sides. The zebra on the left is watching the zebra on the right’s back, and vice versa. This embrace ensures that no predator can sneak up on them since each of them is looking in the opposite direction and together they have a 360 degree view of everything around them.
You are probably thinking, “okay.. that’s cute.. but what does this have to do with anything…?”
Over the past few weeks, I have realized just how much the Lord has blessed me with sweet friendships. And while I will miss everyone (especially my family), I have recently realized that there are a couple of friends that I am going to have a hard time leaving.
Like the zebra, these friends not only embrace me but they watch my back. We all need “friends like zebras.”
The “zebra-like friendship” is not just a social friendship but a spiritual one. These friendships aren’t just about comradery. They are also about survival. These kinds of friends are the kind who help bear the weight of your own life. They are the kind that are always watching your back, helping you fight off the enemy.
And while these “friends like zebras” joke about getting in my backpack and travelling with me, they are willing to let me step into the mission that the Lord has for me. All the while, they are still watching my back, “praying like wild women,” as I pursue the calling placed on my life.
So… to my “friends like zebras,” I thank you for who God has made you to be. I give thanks to the Lord for allowing me to partner with you in spreading the Good News. I am certain that God, who began a good work in you, will finish it to completion when Christ returns. I pray that your love overflows and that you continue growing in knowledge and understanding about what really matters. May you be filled with the fruit of your salvation, for it will bring much glory and praise to God. Amen. (Philippians 1:3-11)
“There are ‘friends’ who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother.” (Proverbs 18:24)
