CREATURE OF GRACE

My daughter Katy and I saw these giraffes at the Columbia, S.C. Zoo several summers ago. They are amazing animals. At first glance they looked to be Giraffa Camelopardalis, the African even-toed ungulate mammals, the tallest of all land-living animal species, and the largest ruminants. What does that mean? I am not sure but I think it means they are very tall, hoofed, cud-chewing, animals having three or four stomachs to process their food, that look like the combination of a camel and leopard (hence their scientific name).

Although being tall and looking unstable on their long spindly legs, they are very stable and extremely hard to bring down. They can kill a lion with a single powerful kick and he is the king of the jungle! If you run across a stray Giraffa Camelopardalis somewhere, wisdom dictates, don't mess with him! Anything that makes a lion nervous should be given a wide berth.

Years ago I heard that the word 'giraffe' comes from the Arabic language meaning 'creature of grace', perhaps from the graceful way it walks and runs, or maybe from the graceful contours of its neck. As the tallest living land animal, reaching 17-20 feet in height, it has to stoop the farthest to drink and live. That is a prophetic picture of all who are 'of grace', they must humble themselves to receive vital spiritual life.

In the parable of the wheat and the tares Jesus warned the laborers not to gather the tares out of the field until harvest time or they would damage the crop. The reason is that wheat and tares closely resemble each other until they reach maturity, when the wheat bows low while the tares remain erect. The real ones bow, the false ones don't. Remember that.

Jesus was the last person on earth that the Samaritan woman would have chosen to change her life. Jesus told her, "If any man is thirsty let him come unto me and drink!" Some would rather make excuses for their lack of vitality and live in misery than admit they are wrong. You may be thirsty. You may be dry. If you are, stoop low, humble yourself. That stooping may mean asking for forgiveness from someone, or asking someone for help you don't particularly like or even disagree with. Never mind your reasoning. Just do it. You'll feel better for it and the Lord will think better of you for it.