The Homeward Bound Weekend Debriefing

Tarangire National Park and Beyond

Saturday

My heart wants to sit and be still among the miles of green, golden tipped grasses, under the umbrella trees with the sweetness of the breezes filling my lungs. There is something about this land that calls to my deep places promising connection only found in stillness.

There is little stillness on safari. From sighting to sighting, we bounce in search of God’s brilliance. The zebras, ostrich and occasional muzunga peeing behind the safari trick giving new meaning to the ‘rear’ view mirror.

We take the road less traveled which increases the jostle factor but, in a sense, allows for solitude not found on the main roads. I can reach out and touch the grasses, see the fluttering of delicate wings over brilliant flat white flowers and marvel at the immensity of the Baobao trees.

There are elephants and giraffes with babies galore. A lioness walking across the shallow riverbed in search of sun and a N.A.P meeting. A tree full of big and little baboons both in the branches and on the ground. Those below look up at those on high while every matter of body material randomly falls. The tiny ones so skillfully navigating the precarious branches threatening to misstep and join the body matter… It is a brilliant day in the savannah grasslands of the Tarangire.

Tanzi
Saturday, August, 2026

Sunday

It is a day of solitude as I sit on a porch facing the jungle.

There is cloud cover in this world above the Ngorogoro Crater. The smell of fresh rain is in the air either coming or having gone or both. A slight chill is on the air adding texture. This ‘winter’ wind of the southern hemisphere sends the leaves of all sizes into a flurry of whirring. Their flutter dance moving the branches in waves of unison as they catch the breeze symphony. A morning dove keeps the beat as the tiny birds sing the melody in endless variety. The broccoli forest bookends the layers of green in their limitless hues and depth. I watch for the wild baboons of last June and I sit and breathe.

Let the inner stillness begin. Speak, Lord,

10″Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” (Psalm 46:10, ESV)

1”The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green jungles. He leads me beside still forests. 3 He restores my soul, leading me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake…”

“6Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” (Psalm 23:1-3, 6 ESV)

“13For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose.” Philippians 2:13

“16For God so loved the world that He gave…”
John 3:16

“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.” Hebrews 12:2

“13I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”Rev 22:13

As He restores my soul in the stillness, He goes before me, leading me. As He leads me, He works within me to will and to act according to His good purpose. As I will and act according to His good purpose, His goodness and mercy are the result left in my wake.

And so God’s circle of giving is in continual motion. He gives to me and goodness and mercy result. Others are given this goodness and mercy that follows. This draws them to Him. He gives. They give to others, including me, goodness and mercy follow…

Little ‘g’ goodness and mercy follow me as Big ‘G’ Goodness and Mercy lead me in the person of Jesus, the author and perfector of my faith. He is the beginning and the end and the best of the middle. Fix my eyes there and the rest will “follow”.

Tanzi
August, 2026