AARDVARK!

             Aardvark’ by Ucumari Photography is licensed under CC-BY-NC-ND 2.0.  

This post is a follow-up to last weeks post, ‘Skunk Cabbage’. It is another good and interesting word from the ‘Book of Nature’ about helping the homeless!!!!

They say Aardvarks are a bizarre hybrid between a kangaroo, pig and vacuum cleaner!  (See photo above)! There are fossil records of them being in existence for 5.4 million years!  They can weigh up to 140 pounds and can be 6-7 feet long (including their tail).  They forage for food, digging into ant and termite mounds using their 12-inch sticky tongue to lick up the ants and termites!  They are nocturnal and can eat up to 50,000 insects in one night!!!  This helps maintain the ecosystem by controlling the number of insects that          could if left unchecked, devastate vegetation.  
Aardvarks have tough skin that protects them from bites and nostrils that seal up to keep out dust and insects!

They are also called ‘ecosystem engineers’ because they are great diggers!  They live in burrows they dig that can be 6 to 42 feet long!  They use this burrow for only 5-9 days before they dig a new one.  These abandoned burrows provide a home for a wide variety of other animals, snakes and even birds protecting them from excessive heat, predators and providing a place to raise their young.
Aardvarks are found in the grasslands, savannas, rainforest and woodlands throughout Africa, south of the Sahara.  

‘Ask the animals, and they will teach you’.  Job 12:7.  I’m asking!  What can an aardvark teach us???  They are home builders!!  Perhaps they would say, “Do ye likewise!”

According to the United Nations, there are 100 million homeless people around the world, one-half million in the United States alone!!!

Fortunately, there are charities and organizations that help the poor and homeless (all around the world) get access to better housing. More than just a roof over their heads, these organizations provide the underprivileged a reason to hope for a brighter future and an opportunity to turn their lives around.  Our Father’s House Soup Kitchen.  I’ve listed a few below.

Habitat for Humanity is undeniably the authority when it comes to building homes for the poor. With a presence in over 70 countries, they are also one of the largest global charities.

The Fuller Center for Housing.  Founded in 2005 by the couple that started Habitat for Humanity, the Fuller Center for Housing now has a presence in 60 US cities and 16 countries outside the US.

1Mission follows a simple model: let people earn their homes by serving their communities. And with over 900 houses built to date, it’s safe to say their model works.

Building Homes for Heroes.  The Military Times estimates that veterans make up 8% of the country’s homeless population. They are the people whom Building Homes for Heroes hopes to build a home for.

Home for Our Troops  Another organization that aims to provide adequate housing to homeless veterans, Home for Our Troops (HFOT) is now in its 17th year of working towards that goal.

Techo, which also means “roof” or “ceiling” in English, is a non-profit that operates in 19 Latin American countries and the Caribbean.

We can help!  We can contact any of the above organizations and join a team of volunteers and build homes like the Aardvark or donate money.

The following are a few scriptures to remind us to help others from the ‘Our Fathers House’ website.

‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these. Mark 12:31.

‘If you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday.’  Isaiah 58:10.

‘If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?’  1 John 3:17.

‘And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’  Matthew 25:40.

‘For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me.’  Matthew 25:30.

OFHSoupKitchen.org.  You can click on the following link to read the entire list.

30 Charity Bible Verses That Will Inspire You To Help Others

30+ Charity Bible Verses That Will Inspire You To Help Others

GO!