The children called him Mr. Long Legs, and no wonder. The little sign on his cage said that he was a flamingo from Africa, but the boys and girls couldn’t read little signs, and they felt like laughing at him. What are his long legs for?
To wade in the water so that he can catch fish. But after all, his legs are not any longer than ours. Our legs are to hold our bodies up straight. He spends his life looking down, and so his legs look extra long. The animals and birds don’t stand straight up, as we do.
Why don’t they?
Well, God made them that way. God wants to show us that the animals belong to earth. But we must look forward and up. They live with their faces to the earth until they return to dust. Our bodies turn to dust too, but our spirit returns to God who gave it. Then we must give an account to God of the deeds done in the body.
God wants us to remember this, because He does not want to send us to the lake of fire for our sins. He wants us to come before Him joyfully, forgiven and justified through the blood of His dear Son who died for us on Calvary’s cross that we might be saved.
It is time to think about this now. The animals and birds look down, but it is time, right now, for you to look up and settle this question with God, who is ready to forgive you. Look up today, for that is the reason why God made you just as you are.
ML 04/22/1951