The Brave Tamandua

     I stayed at the Chan Chich Lodge in Belize, several years ago. I liked the lodge because it had numerous marked jungle trails that I could hike on at my leisure, without a guide. One afternoon I was quietly walking alone on the Loggers Trail when I spotted a movement in the trees. As I got closer I saw that it was a small Tamandua, a member of the anteater family. It was busy scurrying around, hunting for ants and termites under the bark of a dead tree.

The Tamandua have prehensile tails, like monkeys, which allows them to use their tail for holding on. Lucky for me they have poor eyesight and I was able to observe it for quite some time without being spotted. After taking numerous photographs I finally decided to see what it would do if it saw me. I expected it to quickly retreat into the jungle maze. I made a big movement which it quickly noticed. Although it was only about the size of a medium size house cat, the Tamandua immediately took up a defensive posture and started hissing at me.

 It grasped the tree with its tail and hind feet and began waving its forearms and long claws at me, as if ready to fight! I snapped a few more photographs and then slowly backed away, letting it feel that it had scared me off. I admired its bravery, standing up to something much larger than itself. I don’t think that I would have been as brave as the Tamandua if I was suddenly faced with something much larger than me, such as an elephant.

     The brave actions of the little Tamandua in the jungle started me thinking about our human reaction to facing the “giants” of our lives. I do think it is our human nature to be afraid, when faced with something that could do us harm, but God tells us many times, not to be afraid. Just because we are Christians, does not mean that we will not face any evil or threatening situations in our lives; but, God has promised that he will be with us, and will never forsake us. In Deuteronomy 20, God instructs his people: “When thou goest out to battle against thine enemies, and seest horses, and chariots, and a people more than thou, be not afraid of them: for the LORD thy God is with thee”. Fear does not come from God, as II Timothy, chapter one, points out: “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind”. The phrase “fear not” appears over 60 time in the Bible! So, the next time you face one of the “giants” in your life, just remember that “God is with you” and be brave as the little Tamandua in the tree!