Have you ever thought of being a camel?

        I had not thought of being one myself until recently, I mean when someone asks you what kind of animal you want to be, you usually think of the "cool" ones right? Maybe something like an eagle, a tiger, a bear, a wolf, a horse, or a goat, well maybe not a goat...! But so on and so forth. 

My family just sent me a package for my one year mark containing some awesome goodies! Beef jerky, mints, letters, candy, and one thing that I really enjoyed was a story by Cheryle K Carpenter, titled "The Camel is the Symbol of a Seasoned Missionary". As you read this story apply it to your life! You don't have to be a missionary for it to apply!

      "As you come to the one-year mark of your mission [Or any point in your life]. I am sending you a camel to remind you how far you have come, and where you are going. There are many similar characteristics of a great missionary [or person] and a camel.

        The first is the "hump". Yes, you have crossed the mark and now are over the hump of the first year. But remember the hump of a camel is used to store food for the long journey [We will always have different journeys in life, sometimes it hard, and others easy]. Camels can go for long periods of time without food, but he must store food in his hump. A missionary [Or a person] has learned from so many experiences, but a wise missionary [or Follower of Christ] will store the knowledge he has gained, and put it to greater use the second half of his mission [or rest of his life].

      Another important symbol, is what the camel does to prepared to carry his load for his Master. A camel sometimes protests his heavy load, but he drops to his knees for his Master, and once started, he patiently carries his load [Pray oft!]. As a missionary [or father, mother, sister, brother, friend] sometimes the load seems heavy and difficult to carry. But when you drop to your knees and succumb to the Master's will, he will carefully lead you and you can bear the load patiently, and do your Father in Heaven's work as he would have you do. This is why the camel's knees are heavily padded. As a missionary, your knees are calloused from the many hours of kneeling in prayer.

     The camel has high set eyes that enable us to see long distances. A missionary has his eyes set on higher thing, he follows the spirit. That enables him to see the Children of God, those who are seeking answers, and he teaches them the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

  The camel has broad, two-toed feet that keep it from sinking in the desert sand. A missionary has a broad knowledge and a firm testimony of the Gospel [we should all do things to strengthen our own testimonies of Christ and His Gospel]. This enables him to teach with boldness and stand firm in his testimony. The people you teach do not yet have the blessing of such a sure-foot, but as you teach with love and the Spirit, you will help them gain their own testimony that will help them walk on the firmer ground. One that will lead them back to their Father in Heaven.

      So you see, a missionary has a lot in common with a camel. Put a picture of a camel where you can see it often. Dedicate yourself to do as the camel does. Serve your Master well and patiently over the long journey. You have come along way, there is still much ground to cover. Continue to move forward, serving with love, until your mission is complete and you Father in Heaven will say, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant."

That story is super cool to me! We can all adapt it to our lives, whoever we may be, you don't have to be a missionary to be able to use it, you can be a father, mother, sister, brother, or a friend! We should all strive to be camels! They are the new cool animal to be!!! 

There is a scripture in 2 Timothy 2:3, it says "Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier [or Camel] of Jesus Christ". Tough times will come, but as we live the Gospel of Jesus Christ we will be built on a sure foundation, where we  cannot fall. Let's all strive every day to become a better camel!

As we strive to become the best camel we can, we will see great blessings in our lives! We can become the best husband, wife, father, mother, sister, brother, or friend that anyone could ever ask for and the be the person that our Heavenly Father would have us be!

So print off a picture of the camel
and hang it up where y'all can see it every day!