Cedar Sentinel 2013-2014 Issues January 2014: Volume 47 Issue 4 | Page 5

In today’s age and time, there are many distractions from Jesus. We were supposed to have a personal relationship with God. However, once the new episode of our favourite show appears online, we kind of throw Him out the door. It may not be movies or the internet that distracts us from Him, but our faith still remains the same: weak. Now, we don’t always know our fault for this weakness and some people truly believe that they have a strong faith and no devil will knock them down. If that is so, awesome for you. Again though, if you are a person struggling in remaining faithful to God I would really recommend paying attention to the circus elephants. Elephants Stephanie Hodder I know, I know. What do circus elephants have anything to do with my faith with God? Some of you may even be wondering if elephants even believe in a god. Now, instead of focusing on the title animal, concentrate on the animal’s upbringing and how they can be applied to us. Firstly, these massive animals don’t run away or tear down any tents. Secondly, they never forget … ever. Lastly, a wild, full grown elephant cannot be trained for the circus. Elephants in the circus don’t run away from there post underneath the giant tent. Now, back in the railroad circus era, there was not a lot of animal right being followed, or really existing. Even today. there is animal abuse being discovered everyday.(Ringling brother). However, the answer to why elephants do not escape is because of the training they do when they are young and weak. There are cases where the animal is tied to a post for a very long time. When the animal is small and young , it can’t tear down that pole. Therefore, even when the animal have grown up, it still believes it cannot tear down the pole. Now, humankind knows how memories can be a curse and a blessing. It allows you to apply knowledge that is already known to unknown situations. However, it can also be our downfall when we relate bad experience with a new unknown environment. Elephants are truly amazing creatures with their memory. Yet, it is also theirdownfall. When they are full-grown animals and can run away and tear the circus down, they choose not to because of their memory as a young elephant with the pole. Therefore, if I remember not being strong enough to pull out the pole before, why bother again. Wild elephants would not make a good mix for the circus. They are strong, big, and have no memory with the tent pole. Full grown elephants can be known to carry 500kg. Their weight goes in to the tons. These animals would definetely know how to push their weight around if they disagreed with be in a circus. Therefore, the circus doesn’t even look for full grown elephants to train for the circus. They look for the young. tBe Yourself ut wha u - All in all, the life of a circus elephant is very similar to the life of a young Christian. We know that there is a pole that ties us down, It may be drugs, idolatry, stealing or lying. Yet, since we are so weak in our faith, we cannot remove the pole. As we grow up we remember this pole that we could not tackle. We chose to stay tied to the pole then rather defeat it. The devil does not go after the strong, he goes after the weak. As it says in 1 Peter 5:8-9 “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world.” r lthie ea s Wo de Be h y rr ra y Le rG bb tte ss Be ho a rt a St . n O e v o M peo our re Get more sl eep Therefore, we as Christians should continue to expand our faith and become strong and firm in out believe. For the lions only hunt the weak, the circus only takes those whose will and can be compromised. Remember your God and that he will take the pole and destroy it for you. All you have to do is give Him the opportunity. Stop playing candy crush saga