A Great Lesson From a Newborn Giraffe

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. 

Focusing On Jesus

Hebrews 12:2-3 (New International Version)

2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

A little over a week ago I was in a most vulnerable spot: the dentist chair! Keeping my mouth wide open while one is being tortured isn’t easy, especially when it’s a root canal!  But hey, you can’t really complain about it, especially since you can’t utter a word anyway, with all those hands in your mouth!

Giraffes are vulnerable as well.  Although they have excellent eyesight and can view the surroundings for miles on end, thanks to their height, they have two predators that seem to like the giraffe’s hard flesh: lions and leopards.

These animals are generally no match for giraffes however, as a kick from a giraffe’s leg can literally kill a lion, and a giraffe can run 31-37 mph!  Besides, due to their height, they are difficult to bring down!

There is one spot, however, where they become vulnerable, and it isn’t the dentist chair.  Their teeth are healthier than most of ours!  And this is a place where giraffes have no choice but to frequent often: The water-hole!

As giraffes have to struggle to spread their front legs wide and lower their heads to drink, their focus can no longer be on their surroundings and their numerous dangers.  Giraffes are so conscious of their vulnerability that they will scan their surroundings carefully, but not all dangers are noticeable, especially if a predator is hiding!  But once their heads are down and their front legs spread wide, a lion or leopard can attack them and bring them down with hardly a fight.

No kicking or running is possible, as the wide-spread position locks the giraffe’s front legs into place.  Moreover, putting its head up very quickly will make the giraffe dizzy and fill it with confusion!

How true this is for all of us if we stop focusing on what really matters, we become easy prey for the evil one, and before we know it we are spiritually devoured!

This is why the apostle Paul urges us to: “Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we're in.

On whom will you focus?

Dear Lord we pray today that we would keep our eyes on You. We pray that we would finish the race before us with You as our focus. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Lessons From the Giraffe

I read the most unusual thing, about a giraffe. As a mother giraffe gives birth the first things to emerge are the baby giraffe’s front hooves and head. A few minutes later the plucky newborn is hurled forth, falls ten feet, and lands on its back. Within seconds, he rolls to an upright position with his legs tucked under his body. From this position he considers the world for the first time and shakes himself. The mother giraffe lowers her head and licks and nudges the newborn calf. She waits for about a minute, and then she does the most unreasonable thing. She swings her long leg and knocks her baby, so that it is sent sprawling head over heels. The struggle to rise is momentous. Finally, the calf stands for the first time on its wobbly legs, usually within 30 minutes of its birth. Then the mother giraffe does the most remarkable thing. She knocks it off its feet again. Why? She wants it to remember how it got up! In the wild, baby giraffes must be able to get up as quickly as possible to stay with the herd, where there is safety. Lions, hyenas, leopards, and wild hunting dogs all enjoy young giraffes, and they’d get it too, if the mother didn’t teach her calf to get up quickly and get on with it!


Each of us feel at times like things are falling apart because of house maintenance problems, car repairs and personal issues that were strapping them financially and taxing them emotionally. But like the giraffe we need to learn to get back up. God is always there to keep us moving.




"Nevertheless the righteous will hold to his way, And he who has clean hands will grow stronger and stronger.


- Job 17:9 (New American Standard Bible)


Dear Lord we pray that we will have the strength to get up and keep going, knowing that you are there to encourage us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.