An Unexpected Friend

What an unlikely pair taught me about the people God sends

We’ve had the privilege of visiting the San Diego Zoo and San Diego Safari Park a number of times over the years. Both parks are dedicated to animal conservation and educating the public about animals and their habitats. Both parks have given us more than I could capture in one post — but today I want to focus on one particular experience that takes my breath away every single time.

The cheetah is the fastest land animal on earth, reaching speeds of up to 70 miles per hour. They can’t sustain that speed for long, but as a predator, that sprint is everything — the difference between a meal and an empty chase. At the San Diego Safari Park, visitors get to witness those speeds firsthand. The door on the holding crate rises, and a cheetah explodes after a decoy. Watching these powerful, muscular creatures bound down the track, hearing the soft thump of their padded feet against the ground — I have seen it several times. Every single time, it brings tears to my eyes.

What I didn’t know before visiting the San Diego Safari Park was that cheetahs are very nervous creatures. Because of the respect and care the staff have for their animals, they’ve found a unique way to manage that anxiety. Every cheetah cub born in their care is paired with a puppy companion from its earliest days. The two grow up together, and the dog becomes a source of stability for the cheetah — a calm presence the cheetah learns to read and trust. To me, standing on the other side of that fence, it looked like the most unlikely friendship imaginable.

But as I watched the cheetah and dog together, what I saw was something genuinely beautiful. Before the cheetah runs, the two of them walk the track together — side by side, unhurried. And then the dog goes first, bounding after the decoy while the cheetah watches. Only then, having seen its companion go, does the cheetah follow.

Watching these animal companions working together reminds me of the importance of surrounding ourselves with supportive family, friends, and mentors as we walk through life. As we go through our days, we will undoubtedly find ourselves experiencing difficult circumstances and situations where we need a friend to lean on. Just like scripture says in Ecclesiastes 4:9-10: “Two people are better than one. They can help each other in everything they do. Suppose either of them falls down. Then the one can help the other one up.”

But just like the cheetah and the dog, perhaps we need to leave room for support from unexpected places. Sometimes God places people in our lives for a reason. They may not look like your typical friend. Inviting them in might even stretch your comfort zone. But when you do, the blessing that’s waiting might just surprise you.

So as you go about your way today, look around. Who might God be bringing into your circle to uplift and encourage you? Or who might God be sending you to encourage today? We each have our own unique story and our own experience with God. When we are open to sharing that with others who find themselves in similar circumstances to those God has brought us through, we often find ourselves receiving a bigger blessing than the one we are helping.