Giraffes and Jesus...

I’ve been feeling a little...dispirited... lately, nothing I could place my finger on just a general heaviness that’s been weighing me down. So when my alarm went off at 5.30am last Tuesday all I wanted to do was pull the covers over my head and hide from the world. Though something told me to ‘get up’, somehow I felt that something would happen that day. Without much enthusiasm I rolled out of bed and began to trudge through the day, I arrived at varsity and immediately regretted waking up: my lectures were a waste of time; I was tired and was becoming quickly frustrated at everything and everyone around me, so much for ‘something happening’ huh?
On the drive home as I turned over in my head my horrible day I was suddenly taken by surprise. There, in the middle of Pretoria, just over the fence at the side of the road, was a giraffe. No kidding.



Now if you had of said to me “what do you think might happen today?” the very last thing I would have replied is “maybe I’ll see a giraffe”. It seems a small thing (though giraffes are really quite big...) but in that moment I was able to have a laugh to myself, to appreciate beauty and to remember that God is in control. I was reminded of this verse:

“Look at the nations and watch and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe even if you were told” Habakkuk 1:5

You could have told me I was going to see a giraffe. I wouldn’t have believed you. Likewise God is going to do something in our lives, in our nation that will amaze us, which we would never believe, even if we were told.

Cool story, huh? Would you believe that that’s not even the end...?

Fast forward a week and I’m still feeling wracked with worry and concerns, my job is unstable, my finances unsure and issues I thought I was dealing with continue to rear their ugly heads. Frustrated and angry I began to fight with God in the car on the way to varsity. I was yelling and crying and generally making everyone else on the road think I was a crazy person. Eventually I called out to God “if you are really in this situation, if you are really looking after me I want a sign!” and in a juvenile, irritated moment I added “how about another giraffe hey God?!”. I didn’t see anything.

Until about 750m later, when behold, there was not one but TWO giraffes on the side of the road.

Oh how God loves me, oh yes how he loves me. That he, the God of the universe would take the time to humour my childish little requests. That he would command his creation to calm my ever-doubting heart.

Sometimes I just need to be encouraged that God is there, looking out for me.
And sometimes, he drops a giraffe (or two) in my path.
Wow.
God is good.

“The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him.” Nahum 1:7