“Open your hearts and minds to the possibilities that exist
within an infinite universe." ~ Philippians
4:7
Francoise stared aimlessly
at the rolling hills of her African paradise.
It wasn’t often that she found herself alone . . . such was the case today. She sat quietly, remembering her husband
Lawrence and reminiscing about the life they had shared with herds of pachyderms on
the Thula Game Preserve in South Africa.
Lawrence had abandoned a career in real estate to play Noah
to the world’s endangered species. When
coalition forces invaded Iraq, Lawrence led the effort to restore Baghdad’s Zoo
and instantly became an international hero.
His exploits to save rhinos from Congolese poachers bore testament to his
passion for all God’s creatures.
But when asked to accept a herd of ‘rogue’ elephants at
Thula (meaning place of peace), his common sense told him to refuse. Dangerously unpredictable, they were notorious
escape artists and their owners wanted to get rid of them fast.
Sensing their certain death if not rescued, Lawrence accepted
the ‘call.’
The elephants began arriving and immediately broke though
the electric fences. They hated
humans. Lawrence quickly found himself waging
a battle for their survival . . . and their trust.
Despite their terrifying behavior, he decided to stay close
to the giant ‘delinquents’ for as long as it took to gain their
acceptance. Seven days a week, 24 hours
a day, he shared their enclosure, constantly patrolling the perimeter, talking
and singing while they trumpeted, stomped, flapped their ears, and showed all
the signs of elephantine discontent.
Exhausted from an atmosphere of anger and resentment, he took a break and went home. Upon his return, a noticeable calm had taken
its place. Over time, a deep bond of affection
developed between these unruly giants and the man who saved them. Eventually they were released to the wild,
grazing miles away in distant parts of the preserve.
Reality leaked back in.
Though he’d been deceased only three days, Francoise missed him terribly
and wondered if they did too.
Then something extraordinary happened. Two herds of African elephants slowly made
their way single-file through the bush land in a solemn, almost ‘funeral-like'
procession. Francoise couldn’t remember
when these giant beasts had last been near their house.
They knew! They came
today to pay their respects, honoring the human friend who'd worked tirelessly
to save their lives years before. Elephants
have long been known to mourn their dead, proving once again that they never
forget.
The elephants of Thula, who formed the funeral march to the
Anthony’s house, stayed for two days and nights without food. They silently left without fanfare, reminding
us how to honor those who matter most to us.
Hamba kahle, Ndovu Mkhulu! (Be
well, Great Elephant!)
If there ever were a time, when we can truly
sense the amazing interconnectedness of all beings, it’s when we reflect on the
elephants of Thula. A man’s heart stops
and hundreds of elephants grieve. My God
. . . Our God.
