It Follows

04 Aug It Follows

No, this is not the beginnings of a horror story, but for a moment we were feeling like we might be in the middle of one.

Our friend Jessica spent two months with our family, helping out with watching our children while we focused on learning Swahili. She also spent time at a nearby orphanage helping feed babies. But before she went back home we wanted to make sure she had an opportunity to see what most people come to Kenya to see and do. So, we took her to a nearby animal game park. We were blessed with seeing some of the most majestic animals that God has created: lions, hippos, crocodiles, rhinos, giraffes, and many others.

There were also some not-so-majestic animals. It was getting close to lunchtime so we started to head toward a picnic site. We found ourselves driving down a very steep and rocky path toward a small stream. It was one of the most peaceful areas in the park. As we drove into the densely wooded area we noticed some animals running around on the path. They were baboons! The cutest of them were the babies holding onto their mothers. Most of the baboons just sat on the side of the path watching us drive by. Others scampered up into the trees. There must have been over two dozen of them. We watched them for a bit, took pictures, and commented on how cool it was; then we continued across a small bridge and up the steep rocky path on the other side of the valley. A few minutes later we reached the picnic site.

“Finally!” Micah was excited to be at the picnic site, with its beautiful view of the valley. We were all ready to get out of the vehicle, stretch our legs, and eat some food. We found a shady picnic bench and began to distribute the sandwiches and other snacks. Just as we finished praying for the food we noticed a baboon jump up onto the nearby trashcan. It checked intently in the trash for any food scraps that might be inside. We paid it no mind and began to eat. But then others began coming into the picnic area. We realized that this was the family we had seen ten minutes earlier at the bottom of the valley. They had followed us to the picnic site!

About half a dozen of them surrounded us. They were no longer the cute little monkey-like creatures we had seen through the safety of our car windows. The large male kept making approaches at us. He couldn’t have cared less about the kids, Cambie, and Jessica. Their attempts to scare the baboons were ignored. However, when I approached and yelled at the male, he would back down. But every time I did that a different baboon would begin to approach from another direction. By this time the kids were starting to cry and we were getting concerned for our safety. We started throwing the sandwiches back in the picnic basket, but in the confusion we did lose a sandwich to one of the more aggressive baboons.

We hurried back to the car and got inside. By now I think the baboons were feeling their dominance, as several of them jumped up onto the vehicle, even checking to see if they could reach in any open windows to possibly score another prize. We drove away from the picnic site, finding a not so peaceful, not so scenic, and not so enjoyable spot to eat our lunch: the car.

As I reflect back on our experience with the baboons, I can’t help but to make a spiritual connection. The picnic site was intended to be a good place, an enjoyable place, but the baboons corrupted it. When we first drove by the baboons we were in awe of them, we enjoyed seeing them, taking pictures and video of them, even laughing at some of their actions. But the truth about baboons is that they are really a rather nasty and mean animal. Our moment of enjoyment with them was nice, but then, without our even realizing it, they followed us. And when we arrived somewhere that was intended to be good, they were there to ruin it, taking away all of the joy that was intended.

Sin is like that. When we come into sin, it is often enjoyable, fun, and seems rather harmless. Satan is rather clever in how he disguises it. But the sin comes with a consequence, just like driving by the baboons on the way to the picnic site. The baboons knew where we were going and they followed us in hopes that we would be stopping to eat. The consequence of sin follows us too, and those consequences will disturb our life. It is not what God intended for us. He wants us to enjoy the majesty of His creation; He wants us to enjoy our lives as we walk with Christ. When it comes to sin, remember, it follows.

“The iniquities of the wicked ensnare him, and he is held fast in the cords of his sin.” Proverbs 5:22

“Fight the good fight keeping faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith.” 1 Timothy 1:18-19

.