Never Trust a Rhinoceros Cabby
The rhinoceros is a crazy creation. I learned a new thing about those truly unique animals recently. There are many different types of rhinoceros, so for the sake of the post I will focus on the white rhinoceros. It seems an adult white rhinoceros can weigh up to 6000 lbs. However, they are typically closer to 3750 lbs. These animals can also run at a top speed of around 30 mph. You might be thinking like me right now. If you are, you are thinking man that’s heavy and man, man, man that’s fast. It is true, that is an amazing feet of nature. An almost 4000 lbs animal that can run 30 mph! But you know what the funny thing is. A White Rhinoceros can only see clearly about 30 feet. If you were to stand still the rhinoceros would not even notice you at 100 feet. He might notice you, at least a blurry blob from his perspective, moving around at 100 feet, but he would by no means recognize you. In fact, for a Rhinoceros to even see straight ahead he must turn his head. Seems his eyes are positioned in such away that he sees out to each side. Now, the 30 mph and 4000 lbs takes on a whole new meaning. For perspective, imagine this. I drive a Nissan Frontier. While a small truck, by truck standards, the Nissan Frontier king cab weighs in at around 3300lbs. I frequently drive my 3300lbs truck at 30 mph. When I see that I need to stop it takes me more than 30 feet to even apply the brake, and I can see thousands of feet. When a rhinoceros sense a threat it seems that they have a tendency to just charge at what ever there is that threatens them, ask questions later.
Why, you might ask, the zoology lesson? Well, our little Wednesday Night Thing That Does Not Have a Name (Yet) seems to be kind of like a rhinoceros. From week to week I have not known exactly what is going to happen. God will lead me to a topic, I will start off the discussion, and God will lead the group to a spot. It has been pretty cool to see. We started as a group that wanted to see God and Him glorified. We have prayed and God has shown, bit-by-bit 30 feet at a time. We have found ourselves studying the Greatest Commandment (Matthew 22:36-38, Mark 12:29-31, Luke 10:26-28). We where impressed by love God and our neighbors, we talked about how difficult that can be.
This week we will move on to sacrifice. God has impressed on me how sacrifice is an essential part of love. I am not exactly sure how this will be discussed Wednesday evening, but at least now you know. Think about love requiring sacrifice and bring your thoughts and learning with you.
By the way, to finish the rhinoceros story, it seems that the rhinoceros makes up for his poor sense of sight with highly developed senses of smell and hearing. See their ears can pivot with the animal even having to move his head. They listen closely for their cues. It is funny how something should have to listen closely for its cues. Like I said in the last post, we cannot hold God in our hands. We cannot see Him with our eyes. Of course, the analogy is flawed in that we cannot hear God with our physical hears. However, He does speak to us in that way that is so very hard to explain. Listen to God, see what He says.
The rhinoceros is a crazy creation. I learned a new thing about those truly unique animals recently. There are many different types of rhinoceros, so for the sake of the post I will focus on the white rhinoceros. It seems an adult white rhinoceros can weigh up to 6000 lbs. However, they are typically closer to 3750 lbs. These animals can also run at a top speed of around 30 mph. You might be thinking like me right now. If you are, you are thinking man that’s heavy and man, man, man that’s fast. It is true, that is an amazing feet of nature. An almost 4000 lbs animal that can run 30 mph! But you know what the funny thing is. A White Rhinoceros can only see clearly about 30 feet. If you were to stand still the rhinoceros would not even notice you at 100 feet. He might notice you, at least a blurry blob from his perspective, moving around at 100 feet, but he would by no means recognize you. In fact, for a Rhinoceros to even see straight ahead he must turn his head. Seems his eyes are positioned in such away that he sees out to each side. Now, the 30 mph and 4000 lbs takes on a whole new meaning. For perspective, imagine this. I drive a Nissan Frontier. While a small truck, by truck standards, the Nissan Frontier king cab weighs in at around 3300lbs. I frequently drive my 3300lbs truck at 30 mph. When I see that I need to stop it takes me more than 30 feet to even apply the brake, and I can see thousands of feet. When a rhinoceros sense a threat it seems that they have a tendency to just charge at what ever there is that threatens them, ask questions later.
Why, you might ask, the zoology lesson? Well, our little Wednesday Night Thing That Does Not Have a Name (Yet) seems to be kind of like a rhinoceros. From week to week I have not known exactly what is going to happen. God will lead me to a topic, I will start off the discussion, and God will lead the group to a spot. It has been pretty cool to see. We started as a group that wanted to see God and Him glorified. We have prayed and God has shown, bit-by-bit 30 feet at a time. We have found ourselves studying the Greatest Commandment (Matthew 22:36-38, Mark 12:29-31, Luke 10:26-28). We where impressed by love God and our neighbors, we talked about how difficult that can be.
This week we will move on to sacrifice. God has impressed on me how sacrifice is an essential part of love. I am not exactly sure how this will be discussed Wednesday evening, but at least now you know. Think about love requiring sacrifice and bring your thoughts and learning with you.
By the way, to finish the rhinoceros story, it seems that the rhinoceros makes up for his poor sense of sight with highly developed senses of smell and hearing. See their ears can pivot with the animal even having to move his head. They listen closely for their cues. It is funny how something should have to listen closely for its cues. Like I said in the last post, we cannot hold God in our hands. We cannot see Him with our eyes. Of course, the analogy is flawed in that we cannot hear God with our physical hears. However, He does speak to us in that way that is so very hard to explain. Listen to God, see what He says.
posted by Kevin at
11:59 AM
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