For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. II Corinthians 4:17
When a giraffe is born, he tumbles ten feet to the ground, landing on his back. In seconds, he rolls over and stands, struggling with those tall, untried legs. The mother positions herself directly over her newborn, swings her leg outward and kicks that baby, sending it tumbling. If it doesn’t get up, she kicks it again to stimulate its efforts to stand. Each time the baby giraffe manages to get up, the mother kicks it once again. This may seem cruel, but there is a reason for this. She is simply preparing the baby for survival, because it must learn to get up quickly and run with the herd when danger comes or it will not survive. We must learn the same lesson that the baby giraffe learns. When life kicks you down, you must stand back up. The Apostle Paul is stating this same principle in II Corinthians 4. No matter who we are, where we live, or how much that we might have, we are not immune from life’s kickbacks. When things go wrong we so often want to throw in the towel and give up. Don’t let life’s troubles keep you down – stand back up!