Don't Go In The Water!

We rarely see what dangers lie beneath the surface.

A couple summers ago, I was traveling along the Amazon and working with different village communities. One day, my team and I were painting houses and it must have been 200 degrees out; plus the horrendous humidity made it feel like 300. 

After sunset, we went to the bank of the river where we had swum earlier that day. We were hot and drenched in sweat. The water looked so appealing and we just wanted to dive in and feel that refreshing coolness. The water was good and was meant to be pleasurable. But as soon as our feet touched that water, one of the locals came out yelling at us to get out of the water. We didn’t understand, but he said it with such conviction. So of course, we didn’t go in to the river.

When we asked him why, he didn’t give us the reason. All he said was, “No. You can not go in after sunset”, in the most mysterious foreboding tribal accent you can imagine. It always kills me when someone tells me no without saying why.

Aggravated and frustrated that we didn’t get what was good earlier that day, we went inside the boat.  That night as we moved down the river, we heard the captain call out, “Jackadae!”

Jackadae is Portuguese for Crocodile.

We looked to where to the water met the land and saw pairs of red eyes just above the water, illuminated by the spot light. As those red eyes submerged into the water, we realized why we couldn’t go in after sunset.

        

In that situation, the local was infinitely wiser than us and had our well being in the front of his mind. We just had to trust him. I think it’s the same way with God. He wants the best for me and knows what will hurt me. I just have to trust him. Even when he creates something good and pleasurable, like the river water, it may not be the appropriate time or scenario and he says no. 

I realized then that the jungle is a perfect example of this world. A place that is beautiful, exotic, and deadly. Wisdom keeps you alive. I think much of the bible is akin to worn map There is a rhythm and nature to this land and if you obey it you will live. As my Old Man taught me, "We don't break laws, we break ourselves upon them." If the world demands obedience of us to survive, like in Jungle Law, so then, wouldn't this be true of moral law as well? We don't always see everything. We'll never have all the info. But God does.

What I’ve found is, if I don’t listen to God, who is perfect, and I take my own way, sin can creep up on me and destroy me.

… Much like the Jackadae.