The Tigers Are Out!

The Tigers Are Out

It was a beautiful summer day in north Texas, and I had decided to take our sons to spend the day at the Dallas Zoo.  I had packed a picnic lunch, lots of water and juice, packed them into the car and headed out for the forty mile drive east to Dallas.  Excitedly, the boys jumped out of the car, and I spent awhile trying to get the stroller put together, caps on to protect them from the sun, lunch and drinks loaded into the stroller.  Finally, we headed to the gates, bought our tickets, and started our day of fun.

We strolled through the monkey exhibit, bought a snack, and headed for the lions and tigers.  About that time, zoo workers began to appear among the crowd, asking all of us to return to the gates for a refund, as there was a facility issue and the zoo had to be closed.  Imagine our frustration as our day out was cut short and all of our preparations seemed wasted. 

Disgruntled patrons all around us grumbled at the employees of the zoo as we all waited for our refund.  Many demanded to know what possible facility issue could close down an entire zoo.  I thought that, perhaps, there was a water main break or some other inconvenience.  I could not imagine anything less that could mandate all of the guests leaving.  The boys and I loaded everything back in the car and drove to the fairgrounds for an alternative day out, but we were all really disappointed that the day had not gone as planned.

Later that evening, after dinner, my husband was watching television as I cleaned off the table.  He asked how our day at the zoo and gone, and I, indignantly, told him how the zoo officials had wasted our day, closing the facilities and sending everyone packing.  About that time, the local news came on with the new anchor’s headlines:  The Dallas Zoo is happy to report that all four of the young tigers that escaped this morning have been recaptured without incident.

A facility problem?  I don’t equate escaped tigers with a facility problem!  To me, that is a major safety issue.  I was shocked, as I thought about the way all of us leisurely strolled back to the gates, complaining about our inconvenience as we went.  I thought about waiting, determinedly, in line for my refund, absolutely refusing to leave without getting my money back.  I thought about how differently I would have behaved had I been aware of the potential danger to my babies.  I realized, of course, that the zoo had attempted to handle the situation so as not to cause panic or bedlam.  However, I thought about how much more aggressively I would have handled the protection of our sons, how much more quickly I would have gotten them away from danger, how much more vigilant I would have been as I rushed to get them back to the safety of our car.

As I prayed that night, I thanked God for protecting us, as well as the other patrons and attendants at the zoo.  I thanked Him for the safe re-capture of the young tigers and protecting those who lived near the zoo.  Gently, He reminded me that as real as the danger to our sons was from the escaped tigers, that there is an enemy, an adversary, the evil one, Satan himself, who goes around as a roaring lion seeking those whom he may devour (I Peter 5:8).  He reminded me that, as a wife, a mother, a friend, a sister, I am to be sober, be vigilant, and never to let my guard down because there is an enemy whose sole goal is to kill, steal, and destroy.  Satan wants to devour our children, steal our joy, and to destroy our homes.  As surely as I would have placed myself between the physical threat of those escaped tigers and my precious boys, I am called to follow the example of Christ and to be willing, at all costs, to stand between the enemy and those I love.  We are, according to Titus 2:5, charged to be the guardians of the home.  How much more dangerous is the one that can destroy the soul than the one who simply threatens the flesh!

Child safety has become a billion dollar industry in America, and rightfully so.  Yet, in focusing only on the physical, I fear we have forgotten about spiritual protection.  Between television, video games, movies, and political correctness, I fear that we, as women, have let our guard down.  We may have become more concerned about skinny jeans for our kids than spiritual armor.  We may be more obsessed about our children having iPads, iPhones, laptops and new cars than that they have Christian character and morals.  Social networking has replaced genuine interaction and friendships, which require empathy, compassion, love, and the investment of time. 

However, the wonderful thing about God’s grace and mercy is that it is never too late for us to ask His strength to, once more, become protectors of those we love.  May we never, again, let our guard down!  
 

© 2010 Gerry Sisk

(10/13/10)