Gracie the Giraffe Learns about God’s Grace
By Bill Conley
America’s Favorite Children’s Storyteller
Moral of the Story:
Grace is the gift we do not earn but receive through love. It is the mercy of
God reaching down to lift us up. We are saved not by what we do, but by what
God has done for us. Grace forgives, restores, and makes the broken whole
again. It is the heart of God shining through His Son, Jesus. When we give
grace to others, we reflect His love. Grace teaches us to be humble, kind, and
thankful. God’s grace is always enough, even when we fall short.
In the wide golden plains of Africa
lived a tall, gentle giraffe named Gracie. Her long neck reached high into the
treetops, and her big brown eyes sparkled with kindness. Everyone in the
savanna loved Gracie because she was thoughtful and always helped others. But
inside, Gracie often felt she was never quite good enough.
One morning, she stood by the
watering hole watching her reflection ripple in the water. “Why did God make me
so tall and spotted?” she wondered. “I’m not as strong as Leo the Lion, or as
fast as Zara the Zebra. I wish I could be perfect like them.”
Just then, Pastor Elephant wandered
over with his calm and gentle voice. “Good morning, Gracie. You look deep in
thought. What’s troubling you?”
Gracie sighed. “I try to do
everything right, but I still make mistakes. Yesterday, I dropped a whole
branch of leaves I was carrying to the younger giraffes. I want God to be proud
of me, but sometimes I just don’t feel worthy.”
Pastor Elephant smiled kindly. “Oh,
Gracie, do you know what grace means?”
Gracie shook her head. “Not really.
I hear the word at church, but I don’t know what it truly means.”
He lifted his trunk and said, “Grace
is God’s greatest gift to us. It means He loves us even when we don’t deserve
it. You don’t have to be perfect, Gracie. You are loved just as you are.”
She blinked. “Even when I make
mistakes?”
“Especially then,” Pastor Elephant
said with a chuckle. “The Bible says, ‘For it is by grace you have been saved,
through faith, not by works, so that no one can boast.’ That means we can’t
earn God’s love by doing good things. It’s already ours because of Jesus.”
Gracie thought about that all day.
She remembered the times she had helped others, but also the times she had
failed. Maybe, she realized, it wasn’t about keeping score. Maybe it was about
trusting that God loved her no matter what.
The next morning, a terrible
windstorm swept across the plains. Branches broke, nests fell, and animals ran
for cover. Gracie helped as many as she could, shielding little meerkats
beneath her long legs and helping a frightened baby bird back into a tree. But
in the chaos, she slipped and tore one of her knees.
When the storm finally ended, she
limped to the shade of a large acacia tree and began to cry softly. “I tried so
hard, but I couldn’t help everyone,” she whispered.
Then she heard tiny footsteps. It
was Zara the Zebra, carrying a small bundle of wildflowers in her mouth.
“Gracie, we all saw what you did. You helped so many of us during the storm.
You showed us what real love looks like.”
Gracie smiled weakly. “But I wasn’t
strong enough to help everyone.”
Zara nuzzled her gently. “You don’t
have to be perfect, Gracie. You have grace. You gave everything you could, and
God sees that.”
At that moment, Gracie felt a peace
she had never known before. It was as if God whispered into her heart, “My
grace is sufficient for you.”
Days passed, and her knee slowly
healed. As she walked through the savanna, she began to notice things she had
missed before: the beauty in the clouds, the laughter of her friends, and the song
of the birds. She realized that grace was all around her, woven into every
sunrise and every act of kindness.
Soon she began sharing what she
learned with others. When little animals made mistakes or felt ashamed, Gracie
reminded them, “God’s grace covers everything. You don’t need to earn His love.
You already have it.”
One afternoon, Pastor Elephant
gathered everyone at the watering hole and asked Gracie to speak. Nervously,
she stepped forward. “Friends,” she began, “for a long time, I thought I had to
be perfect to make God proud. But now I know that His grace is a gift, one that
no one can earn. Grace means we are loved, forgiven, and made new every day.
And when we show grace to others, we bring a little piece of heaven to earth.”
All the animals cheered and nodded.
Even Leo the Lion let out a happy roar.
That evening, as the sun painted the
sky in shades of gold and purple, Gracie looked out over the savanna and
whispered, “Thank you, God, for Your amazing grace.”
And from that day forward, whenever
anyone stumbled or felt unworthy, Gracie reminded them gently, “Grace is not
about being perfect; it’s about being loved.”
Poem:
Grace is love that never ends.
A healing gift that God sends.
Not by works or what we do,
But by faith, His love shines through.
When we fall, He lifts our face.
Filling hearts with peace and grace.
For grace is mercy, pure and free,
A gift from God for you and me.
Discussion Questions:
1.
What does it mean that grace is a
gift from God, not something we earn?
2.
How did Gracie the Giraffe show
grace to others in the story?
3.
When someone makes a mistake, how
can you respond with grace instead of judgment?
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