Giraffes need water.
But did you know giraffes have to spread their legs and bend
down awkwardly to get water?
And every time they do this they make themselves vulnerable
to predator attacks.
So what do giraffes do in order to get what they need
despite the prowling lions and hungry crocs?
Giraffes…
Look up & find water elsewhere (acacia leaves)
We too can find what
we need by looking up. More often than not we convince ourselves that what we
need will only—can only come from someone else—something else. More often than
not it’s a fallacy. We have all we need
in God.
Avoid waterholes where predators hang
It’s worth it to pay attention to the company we keep. I’ve
walked out of some settings and mumbled, “But for the grace of God.” Skin of my
teeth moments. Beyond grateful that more detrimental events didn’t occur in
those places.
Though, this one has a tendency to be more difficult to
discern. Lions can waltz into our lives disguised as affable elephants. But a
lion will always reveal its claws at some point or another. Unfortunately,
lions also like to hang around waiting too. This is why there are circumstances
in life when we are better off skipping the waterhole and lifting our heads.
Go together
I’ve reaped tremendous benefits from seeking (and being open
to) accountability in my life. Not long ago one of my closest friends stopped
me midsentence and said, “You need to shut those thoughts down, Wendy.” And it
hit me…I was giving credence to lies. The affirmation I started off needing
came blessedly wrapped in a whopping bout of truth-telling.
Take turns
We all have moments of weakness—times we know our legs won’t
cooperate beneath us when we tell them to bend. Time to keep watch for someone
else. Or we encounter stages in life when
our eyes blur, clouding our vision. Time to step up to the water and awkwardly
shift our legs.
There’s a beautiful give and take that occurs in
relationships that we’re bound to miss if we’re always the one taking—or giving
for that matter.
Drink 12 gallons of water at a time
“I wanted to live deliberately, I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life.” Henry
David Thoreau
There’s something to be said for investing deeply, for being
grateful for every moment given to us living as though we may not be granted
another—for learning to appreciate rare opportunities.
Something to be said for slurping up 12 gallons of water at
a time. Go, giraffe, go!
~
I’m fascinated by animals and nature. It never ceases to
amaze me the innate ways animals circumvent threats.
We need to feel safe. We need love. We need other things.
What happens when what we need makes us vulnerable? In times of need, we’re
wise to be mindful of how a giraffe approaches a watering hole.
~
Which one of the
above are you most likely to forget in times of need? Which one has benefitted
you time and time again?
**2 more interesting giraffe facts: a giraffe’s heart is 2
feet long & weighs 25lbs and giraffes communicate by emitting low notes
humans are unable to hear
***photos by stock.XCHNG
