The Camel Question

	A baby camel asked his mother, “Mom, why do I have these huge three-toed feet?” His mother replied, “Well, son, your toes help you stay on top of the soft sand when we trek across the desert.” A few minutes later the baby camel asked, “Mom, why do I have these long eyelashes?” His mother replied, “Well, son, your eyelashes help keep the sand out of your eyes on our trips through the desert.” A few minutes later the baby camel asked, “Mom, why do I have these great big humps on my back?” His mother, who was getting a little impatient with her son, replied, “Well, son, your humps store water for our long treks across the desert, so you can go without drinking for long periods of time.” “That’s great, Mom,” the baby camel said. “We have huge feet to stop us from sinking, long eyelashes to keep sand out of our eyes, and humps to store water. But…Mom?” “Yes, son?” “Why are we in the zoo?”
	Where to Take It from Here…
	God created you for a purpose. He’s provided you with gifts and talents so that you can serve him and make a difference in the world. Are you doing what God created you to do? Maybe you feel a little like the camel in the zoo. Life is easy, things are going along pretty smoothly, but you have a nagging feeling inside that maybe you aren’t living up to your God-given potential. Living in a zoo isn’t all bad, but it’s certainly not what camels were created to do. Living outside the will of God may not be all bad, either, but it’s not what you were created to do. Let Jesus set you free and give you the abundant life that you were meant to live (John 10:10)!

Something to Think About

Alligators in Your Pond
	Several years ago, newspapers carried a story about an elderly lady who lived in the Big Cypress Swamp in South Florida. Her home was an old shack located by a small pond. Every day the lady went out to the pond to draw water. In the pond lived an alligator. Despite the danger, the lady allowed this alligator to live in the pond for years. It seemed tame. She didn’t bother the gator and the gator didn’t bother her. However, one day while she was drawing water from the pond, the gator swam under the water and then plunged up, grabbing the old woman’s hand with his mighty jaws. She tried pulling her hand out of his mouth, but the gator ripped it off. Bleeding profusely, the terrified and stunned old woman crawled back to her shack and called for help. Paramedics finally arrived and she received medical attention. The next day, the park ranger found the alligator in the pond and killed it. When they cut the alligator open, they found the old woman’s hand. The park ranger told reporters, “Alligators are most dangerous when they lose their fear of humans. By allowing an alligator to remain in your pond, you unknowingly give it the courage to attack.” The lady still lives in the swamp. But there are no longer any alligators in her pond.
	Where to Take It from Here…
	Scripture clearly teaches us that the wages of sin is death. Yet too many times, we think we can keep sin in our lives and not suffer the consequences. Eventually it will take a bite out of us. The writer of Hebrews warned that we must get rid of everything that slows us down, especially sin that distracts us. If we don’t, it will handicap us and do damage to the cause of Christ. What are the alligators living in your pond?