Sometimes, it gets wearisome to live in a city of twenty million or so people, and it becomes necessary to get out of town for a while. The city is big, and very brown, and I’m sure it deserves the title “The City that Never Sleeps” more than New York does. With all of that, it can be hard to hear God in all the chaos, and so any chances to get out and see some greenery and have some peace of mind are very welcome.
So my family came to visit and we went to Kenya together! It was fantastic. I think one of the best parts was to be able to step out of my role as an adult, making my own decisions, and just be the child again, letting my parents call the shots. It’s interesting how our family dynamics really do so much to form who we are and how we operate. It was refreshing to see another culture together and get down into proper Africa after a few days in my city, and try and figure out Swahili some when I have no real commitment to it, and see the beautiful flora and fauna of Kenya.
I connect to God a lot through nature, so it makes sense that I would hear Him out there in the middle of His creation clearer than I often can in the city. One evening, our safari vehicle was racing back to the park entrance so we would get out before the park closed for the day, and we got to witness one of the most beautiful sunsets I’ve ever seen. This picture doesn’t do it justice, but standing up in the pop-top SUV as it cruised through the savannah, feeling the breeze on my face, watching giraffes majestically stride across the multi-hued horizon, I felt at peace. I felt God saying He was with me and would be with me for the rest of my time in this city. He takes care of the sparrow, and the wildebeest, and the lion, and even the loathsome hyena, and He will also take care of me.