"lions and tigers and bears, oh my..."

I had the opportunity to spend the day in Chicago this week with a friend and her 3 year-old twins.  With her husband out of the country this week, and me child-less from 8a.m.-3p.m. we decided to take in the Lincoln Park Zoo.  http://www.lpzoo.org/

The Lincoln Park Zoo is one of the few free zoos in the US. It has all of the major animals in a condensed acreage that is manageable for small children.

My boys were a bit jealous, being zoo lovers themselves.  They are trying to talk us into heading there this Sunday... we'll see... maybe if the weather cooperates.

We dropped our big kids off at school hit the freeway.  Chicago is such an amazing Midwestern city... only 65 miles from our little town.  We were at the zoo in a little over an hour, pulling the little double tri-genarians in a red radio flyer.

As a child we took in lots of zoos in the cities we visited family in... Wichita, Salina, Colorado Springs, Rapid City ...

It is actually rather odd when you think about it.... caging these majestic creatures so we can "oogle" at them...

I captured this shot of "the king of the jungle," ... maybe he needs his morning caffeine .... he was just completely aloof to the humans vying for his attention.

Taking in the sites, smells & sounds with toddlers who notice EVERYTHING had me wondering what life was like on Noah's ark... I'm sure the ark smelled "ripe" .... I'm sure it sounded "like a zoo" ...

The Lord told Noah to bring the animals 2-by-2 to the ark he had instructed him to build.


Genesis 6:19-22 (New Living Translation)
"19 Bring a pair of every kind of animal—a male and a female—into the boat with you to keep them alive during the flood. 20 Pairs of every kind of bird, and every kind of animal, and every kind of small animal that scurries along the ground, will come to you to be kept alive. 21 And be sure to take on board enough food for your family and for all the animals.

 22 So Noah did everything exactly as God had commanded him."


If those animals had any clue about what the world was about to undergo, they would have been vying for the Lord's attention.... pick me, choose me....

We are fortunate that for the time being the Lord has blessed us with health and safety... no natural disasters are headed our way.... at least for today.... "maybe I better knock on wood?"

We are blessed because we worship a loving God.... a Father who has chosen us.... CHOSEN US.... chosen sinful, wretched humans like me.... we don't have to be like the animals trying to get picked to be on the ark.... I'll bet the lion gave his loudest roar to be noticed, the giraffes stood extra tall, the peacocks plumage spread in brilliance....

The Lord, Emmanuel, "God with us," has chosen us.... he loves us unconditionally, regardless of our flaws & faults .... it is up to us if we accept His invitation to enter into a friendship with Him, with THE King of Kings... wow, he wants me to intimately know Him, to talk with Him, to Be with Him.....

So now this has me thinking.... will I be like the Lion at Lincoln Park and lazily yawn at the Lord's invitation? ... or will I prayerfully commit my days to Him just as Noah "did everything exactly as the Lord commanded?"

In Genesis 8 we see that the flood waters receded... Noah, his family & the animals exited the ark on dry land .... and in verse 22 "the Lord was pleased."

So, will you choose do as Noah did and follow the Lord's commands? .... even in the floods of life are callings that make us feel we are sure to drowned .... even in the uncertainty .... If you do, I know the Lord keeps his promises ... he will show you the rainbow after the rain.