CREDOS: Camel in a cage

Janet Perez Eckles

A baby camel asked his mother, “Why do we have such large hooves on our feet?” She turned to him. “God made us that way for a very special reason,” and she began her explanation. “The big hooves are to keep us from sinking into the sand.” “Oh! So

why do we have long eyelashes?” “It’s to protect our eyes from the sand.” “Why the big humps?”

“That is to store fat and have enough energy to go long distances in the hot desert!” “I see!” The baby camel stretched his neck and looked up at his mother, “The big hooves are to keep from sinking into the sand, the long eyelashes are to keep the sand out of our eyes, and the humps are to store energy to travel long distances — then what are we doing in this cage in the middle of a zoo?”

Like the camel, I had asked the same kind of questions. When my blindness set in, I initially locked myself in a cage of self-pity and bitterness. Weary from pacing within that gloomy cage, something nudged me to see beyond my circumstance and unfortunate plight. Heavens! What was I thinking?

I broke down those bars, and into the desert of life. I trudged through the heat with determination and drive. I endured the blistering sun with perseverance and tenacity. So, batting my long eyelashes to keep out the sand of discouragement, I challenge you... Step back and peek at what bars limit you. Take a deep breath, break them down, and emerge into the freshness of a new life!