Pond Cannonballs

There’s a place, not far from where we lived in in Ndola, called Tusha Farms.  All my sons were baptized there as were many of our Young Lions over the years. We camped there, we hiked there, we had one of our first ever Young Lions trail runs there. It is just a very special place. 

Another of our very favorite places is called Nsobe.  It’s a private game camp out in the bush and we loved to getaway and escape to Nsobe whenever our schedule would allow.  

Over the years, as we developed relationship with our initial 14 Young Lions, we often went swimming together or had braiis on the banks of water bodies at these two locations.  A few of our guys were great swimmers and a few were not, so we always had lots of lifejackets on hand. But Jack told us that one of the things he noticed that started to heal him from his early pain and trauma, was having a family and a community of people to just be a kid with.  To just be himself with.  To just be normal with.  

Jack starred in adventure movies that my son Eli directed Jack went on bush walks with my son Owen. Jack played soccer with my sons Liam and Noah.  And he loved to swim with my boys and his lion brothers. I vividly remember, on multiple occasions, jumping off a small bridge  -- an actual portion of the unfinished Cape to Cairo Railway line, arm and arm, hand and hand, with a whole crew of lions!  Pond cannonballs!  10 linked-arm cannon balls is better than one cannon ball every time.  

Doing anything together with other others is better than doing anything alone.

Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed.

- Ecclesiastes 4:9

Lion this week, gather with a community.  Do some life with others.  If it’s a pond cannonball do it with arm-in-arm. If it’s a devotional over coffee, don’t do it alone. Find your people.  Gather with other lions. 

Your cannon ball wave will ripple far wider than you could ever imagine –  I promise!