The Straw and the Camel
The idiom, the straw that broke the camel's back, alluding to the proverb "it is the last straw that breaks the camel's back", describes the seemingly minor or routine action which causes an unpredictably large and sudden reaction, because of the cumulative effect of small actions. (Wikipedia)
Ever heard that statement, or better yet, ever said it?
I have, both, on many occasions.
As this thought came to mind at the close of my day, I debated whether or not to pass on it. (I think God does this to me as a reminder...of who He is, and whose I am).
So, it seemed incumbent upon me to surrender to the pen...not literally, of course, as I use my notes on my iPad and use the keyboard to type rather than to write. But, as a writer it seems more appropriate to say penned instead of typed. I'm old school!
Anyway, without a clue where this is headed, I will divulge past experiences, perhaps, as a platform.
When I think of straw, I have a mental picture of Mama raking pine straw in days gone by in our front yard on the farm.
As a child, I would pick up a straw, and doodle in the dirt with the big end.
It weighed nothing, broke easily, and burned quickly.
So when you consider the saying, it's futile to even contemplate how the straw could break a camel's back.
I watched how my Daddy's boss kept requiring more of him without due compensation to a point where Daddy quit his job.
When he told Mama, she panicked. But Daddy wasn't worried. He knew how to do his job, and he knew he could do it for himself, and make more money by doing so.
Evidently, the straw that broke the camel's back turned out to be a stepping stone.
So, I reckon the parallel I'm implying here is to say it's not always bad to reach the place in life where the straw breaks the camel's back.
As I grew into an adult, and began to experience life, it became apparent how the process could become a reality.
Not naturally, of course, but figuratively.
Sometimes we who are rooted in our comfort zones or stable lifestyles have to be pushed to the edge where incidences happen to m a k e us change.
Perhaps in anger or frustration we utter, "That thing or person was the straw that broke the camel's back, and persuaded me to change my perception of the situation."
I know personally when, as Wikipedia stated, the seemingly minor or routine action which causes an unpredictably large and sudden reaction, because of the cumulative effect of small actions, has taken place in my life, it moves me to another level...most times out of my comfort zone, to an unfamiliar position where I find myself on my face before God, questioning, "what next?"
Stepping out in NOW faith has opened new arenas.
Had it not been for the straw and the camel, no doubt I would still be in the same place I was for over thirty years.
Has it been easy? No!
As I state frequently, the struggle is real.
But I'm continually thankful for every experience my life has afforded me, because each time it's made me aware that we all have a story to tell, and we can only turn the page and start a new chapter if we've had a straw to break the camel's back!
Have you had a straw and camel experience? If not, maybe you need one.
D. S. Mullis
copyright2017
