The Croc Hunter

While I checking my email the other day, I saw a news brief come up on the sidebar of MSN that Steve Irwin had died. I just stared at it. I had spent so many hours watching his shows with my brother, talking like him, laughing at him, but I really really did appreciate him. One time a friend cheered me up by doing a Croc Hunter voice for me and I said (sincerely, though I still take slack for it today :)) "I love the Crocodile Hunter! God bless you!" I think it was his enthusiasm. I love enthusiasm. That's why I teach little kids. They are great models of enthusiasm and it's contageous. I also loved how he wondered at and found ever-new amazement at God's creation! He had a heart for caring for the environment and the animals that God created for us to care for... I learned from him, was entertained, and hoping that this is not sounding too corny, I really was inspired by him.

So I am grieving. It's a weird grief because it's almost like having your favorite fiction character in a novel die or something.... since I didn't really KNOW Steve Irwin... but it's not like that, because he is real. And he has a real wife and two real little children. I've been praying for them. I can't imagine their grief. I really hope he knew Jesus.

I suppose though, all the times I laughed at how many times he had been to an emergency room and in harm's way... now it's not really so funny. So I think I'll be enthusiastic about God's creation... but maybe in a less dangerous way?

At any rate, I liked him, and I will miss him. <><