Is a Mother Giraffe Mean?

Sometimes love must be tough. This is wonderfully illustrated by the mother giraffe’s seemingly cruel antics after giving birth to her calf.

In his book The Rudder of the Day, Dan Miller (also leader of the 48 Days Eagles Community) graphically describes the mother giraffe’s unusual behavior. “Within a few seconds after birth, a baby giraffe struggles to its feet. Shortly afterward, however, the mother will knock it over from that first wobbly stance.

“This process is repeated each time the baby struggles to its feet until the young giraffe has the strength to stand in a firm and unwavering position.

“What seems like an unkind and cruel act is, in fact, of vital importance to the survival of the young animal. It is, in fact, an act of love by the mother for its child. “For the baby giraffe, the world is a dangerous place and it must quickly learn how to respond to unexpected challenges and get back up on its feet. “Now I don’t imagine that the baby giraffe welcomes being knocked around or particularly thanks Mom for the experience. I doubt that the little guy understands that there is an important lesson being learned.”

Just like the mother giraffe, we too must sometimes exercise tough love. Here are some examples:

* Teaching a toddler that disobedience has consequences

* Not bailing out a rebellious teen that keeps getting in trouble with the law

* Forcing an irresponsible young adult to pay his own way in life

Seek God‘s wisdom to know how to properly exercise tough love to benefit those you care about. (Below is a delightful, two-minute video about the mother and baby giraffe.)

Blessings,

Susan Montgomery TheMontgomeryLine.com The Mother Giraffe The Mother Giraffe By World Of Miscellaneous