As Kara, Sara, and I were leaving the safari last week in Northern Uganda, we had a thirty second encounter that will be lodged into our memories forever.
As were driving out of the park, we noticed an S.U.V. ahead of us, pulled off to the side of the road. We assumed they were taking photos of say, boring animals, like hippos, zebras, and warthogs (read: sarcasm). As we approached, the Ugandan guide informed our guide that in fact, they had just seen a male and female lion.
At this point, we weren't too excited for we'd already seen 13 lions the previous 36 hours. Oh, how wrong we were.
It turns out, three elephants were chasing two lions across the field near where we were stationed. Sara commented, "I've never seen elephants chasing lions." For someone who'd been on 15 safari's (Sara used to live in Uganda), I was quite impressed with our luck. That feeling would be short-lived.
After losing visible sight of the two chasing parties, the male lion (who must have weighed close to 400 lbs.) came sprinting out of the brush, headed directly for our S.U.V. With his head down, he was running directly for us in fear of the elephants. After about 5 seconds, he lifted his head to see our vehicle. Immediately he tried to stop in mid-stride, forcing him to lose his balance which caused him to slide down the four foot trench that separated him from us.
The lion literally missed hitting our vehicle by six to twelve inches. Had I not slammed the large viewing window, I could've reached out and touched the lion with my bare hand. I probably would've been henceforth forever known as "one-armed-Josh" had I done so. I will never forget the split-second moment in which my eyes met the eyes of the lion. Never had I seen the king of the jungle (not in film, photographs, or video) filled with so much panic. The elephant, as it turns out, is the real king of the jungle.
After the male lion gained his footing, he sprinted to the other side of the road. The female lion came running behind him a short time after. Luckily for us, and the really intriguing element of this little tale, the elephants changed their course before getting to the road where we parked. We saw them casually jog off into the morning mist.
My heart was in my stomach. My stomach was in my foot.
So, what lessons do I take from this? First, I'm a lot lower on the food chain than I often remember. Second, the difference between beauty and danger is a thin veil (or a piece of metal). Third, we as humans feel most alive when we are in situations and places of uncertainty.
I'm glad to be back in suburbia where, as I write this, the most dangerous animal in my yard is a little black squirrel who keeps getting into Kara's flowers. Soon, he will learn his place on the food chain.
5 comments:
Josh,
I bet your hands were never as quick on the court as they were when you closed the viewing window! Johnny and I are having a little chuckle. Mike was at camp last week....can you imagine him on that trip!
gap
Josh,
I just noticed the picture on Kara's blog of you jumping in front of the tower and then Kara jumping. Her veritical is so much higher!!!! You ought to see us laughing now!!! Although, to be honest, after coaching you for four years I shouldn't be that surprised since Johnny was the only one with a lower vertical.
gap
"the difference between beauty and danger is a thin veil"
I need to remember that line the next time I do pre-marital counseling.
Great story, where's the video shot of all of this?
“We as humans feel most alive when we are in situations and places of uncertainty.”
What a great quote for churches today. Oh, how I long for us, as a body of Christ to live in the uncertainty and give all our safety nets to the one who continues to deliver again and again.
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