Falling Short (Part 2)

Lia couldn't stop thinking about her ballet practice earlier that afternoon as she followed her mom through the zoo. I'll never be able to do a high demi pointe, she thought, sighing.Mom stopped when they reached a habitat filled with rock formations. "Here we are! These animals I want you to see live in Africa among these types of rocks called kopje." Lia read the sign. "Klipspringers? That's a fun name--oh look, Mom! There's one right there!" Lia and Mom watched in fascination as the two-foot-tall dwarf antelope leapt gracefully from one kopje rock to the next. "Look at how tiny their hooves are--it says here they're the diameter of a dime. I can just imagine a little pink tutu on that klipspringer and itty bitty ballet shoes!" Lia squealed in delight. Mom smiled. "Did you notice how they stand?" "Yeah, it kind of looks like they're standing on their toes, even though they have hooves. It's so impressive that they can jump and land on a section of rock no bigger than the size of my hand!" Mom nodded. "God provided the klipspringer with everything it needs to live in this type of habitat. It has quite a few predators in the wild, but living among these rocks helps them stay safer. It reminds me of how God is our Rock. We can take refuge in Jesus because He has saved us from sin and promises to always be with us." Lia smiled. "I understand why you wanted me to see these klipspringers, Mom. When I go to ballet next week, I'll try to remember that God has given me everything I need in Him--even if I can't stand up on my toes as well as these cuties!""Did you know that there are even a few Bible verses that talk about deer's hooves?" asked Mom. "In the book of Psalms, David writes about how God shields us when we take refuge in Him and gives us His strength. He says God made his feet like the feet of a deer and enabled him to stand on the heights.""That's really awesome, Mom!" Lia moved her feet through the five ballet positions. "Even when I feel like I've fallen short in ballet, I'm God's child forever, and that's something I can never lose." -Savannah Coleman