1 Peter 1:6-7 (NIV)
6 In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a
little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These
have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than
gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory
and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.
Today we had the privilege of going as a family to the
Giraffe Ranch and seeing some of God’s great creations. Which each went around
in awe and joy as we saw each animal. What an amazing thing it was to stand in
a fenced area and hold a grape I our hand and watch as a Lemar would gently reach
out and take the grape and eat it. If we were to slow they would lean into us
and take the grape with their mouth right off our hand, an experience we won’t
soon forget. The real highlight of the day was to feed the giraffes. What a
beautiful animal to watch as they would stick their 18 inch tongue out and
gently take the food out of our hands.
We also had the joy of seeing a 15 day old baby giraffe as she nursed
from her mom. Altogether it was an amazing day. As I drove back home I was
thinking about the day and was reminded of a book I had read a few years back.
The
book was titled A View from the Zoo by Gary Richmond. Illustrations from the
animal world fill the pages with spiritual truths. The birth of a giraffe gives
insight to life's trials and hardships. When a calf is born, he falls ten feet
and lands on his back. The mother momentarily hovers over the newborn before
kicking the baby head over heels. If the calf doesn't get up, he gets another
good kick. She repeats this process to stimulate his efforts. Finally, when the
little giraffe gets up on his wobbly legs, the mother kicks him off his feet
again. To an outsider such behavior seems cruel. To the mother it is an
expression of love. This first lesson in life helps the newborn quickly develop
the skills needed to move rapidly with the herd when predators are near.
Sometimes we feel as though God has no sooner gotten us on our feet when he
turns around and knocks us down. The next time that happens, think about the
newborn giraffe. God may simply be strengthening you for your own protection in
the future.
I won’t soon forget our giraffe adventure or the lesson
that when fall sometime it is just to give us the strength for what else is
coming our way in life.
Dear Lord, we thank You for your creation and the lessons
we can learn from it. Help us remember that when we get knocked down it is a
way that we can be strengthened for our future. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
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