Thursday, September 25, 2008

• How Do You Handle Past Wounds and Fears?

   by miss goldenrod
  
  

  
  

  
  Years ago, I was walking through the Detroit Zoo, passing the seal exhibit.  At the time, the display for the three resident seals was nothing more than a large, rectangular pool, no better than an apartment swimming-pool.  It was so unimpressive that I would have kept going, had I not noticed that off to the side was a much smaller pool completely fenced off from the large exhibit.  Inside, with barely enough room to turn around, was a fourth seal.
  
  I asked a zoo volunteer the reason for his confinement, and she told me a story I've held with me for about ten years.  The isolated seal was born wild off the coast of New England, and curious, swam too close to a boat.  Those people aboard thought it amusing to shoot at the face of this seal; if I remember the story correctly, one bullet ripped right through one eye, and another severely damaged the other. The seal, left with only about 90% of his vision, managed to find his way to shore where he was rescued by a local aquarium and nursed back to health.
  
  The aquarium knew, however, it wasn't equipped to provide this animal with a large enough tank for the rest of its life, so they began searching among other facilities for a permanent placement.  The Detroit Zoo at this time was constructing their Arctic Ring of Life exhibit, which included a 300,000-gallon pool for the polar bears and seals (separated, of course).  Knowing the space would be large enough for a fourth seal, they brought the blinded animal to the Motor City.
  
  Unfortunately, they soon realized that he was not only afraid of his future companions, but also of the size of the new pool.  To help the transition, they built the separate enclosure and each day would ask the rescued animal to spend an increasing amount time in the large pool.
  
  When I returned to the zoo a few years later, I went looking for this seal.  While his pool-mates were taking full advantage of their state-of-the-art home, the rescued seal found a tiny corner at the farthest end.  In all the times I've visited since, I've never seen him anywhere else.  At least on Saturday when I went, I found him enjoying the water jet... in the same way that people use wave-pools to swim "laps."
  
  I realize that after being shot in the face multiple times, the animal was lucky to be alive... then rescued and then found a new home.  Yet it still seems sad that he hasn't taken advantage of his new life, that even in this larger tank, he still has isolated himself into a corner.  Though this isn't the life he was intended to live, he won't take advantage of what has been provided.
  
  It seems I just wrote on this idea last week, that we imprison ourselves because of previous hurts.  One might say that in the case of the seal, his blindness keeps him isolated, but the other seals don't let the same thing stop them from playing.  He's spending his life swimming into the current of a water-jet, going nowhere.
  
  Strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble, andmake straight paths for your feet, so that the limb which is lame maynot be put out of joint, but rather be healed.
  Hebrews 12:12-13 (NASB)
  
  How do you handle past wounds and fears?

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