Dancing With Rhinos!

It was early morning as Cathy and I drove out into the Kruger National Park. We were going to have the joy of a solitary day among God’s creation.

Our first contact was two Rhinos lazily grazing away from the road. Apparently it was a mother and adolescent carefully feeding on the grass. We stopped, killed the motor and lowered our windows. We could hear their teeth pulling grass and chewing as we watched them for fifteen minutes. The silence was rich and their huge bodies waltzed slowly across the field.

The four ton animal seemed to move so slowly across the field that they seemed tame. He was grabbing each mouthful of grass and taking no note of our presence. They grazed long enough that we realized they were beginning to get close to our car. We were in such a position that we couldn’t crank the car without startling the huge animals. We reached each other’s hand and our eyes caught each other. What do we do was the question spoken without words? We said a quick prayer.

Rhinos have very poor eyesight and can be distressed very easily. They can also be a mean tempered animal when frightened. The younger Rhino came within two meters of our car and we did not say a thing.

In the next instance a third Rhino raced up the hill from the wooded area and snorted. Both of the Rhinos near us raised their heads instantly and looked around. The mother Rhino quickly danced to the rump of the younger and pushed him with her horn away from our car. The speed and agility of the four ton animals took our breath away.

They raced to a spot some five meters from the car and both turned to face our vehicle. They snorted and made sure our presence was not welcome now that they acknowledged our existence. We cranked the car and slowly pulled away. Their snorting and stomping made sure we continued away.

Our spiritual eyes are so dim at times they we are completely unaware of issues that linger right next to us. Satan is a master at blending into the fabric of our lives. Most of the time we are so captured by our personal needs that we pay no attention to things that have happened right next to us.

The spiritual wrestling match we wage daily is focused on keeping us from seeing and hearing our Lord. The wild forces of evil in the spiritual realms are very content if they can get us to relax, take a deep breath and just sit.

Our struggle is against powers that can dance a fine line between calm and calamity.  Sometimes it can feel like dancing with a 7,000 pound Rhinoceros.

Cathy and Danny Sartin

Deeper Still Missions


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