Inspiring and heart-warming story
After reading this amazing story I had to share it with you...
In 1986, Dan Harrison (see picture above) was on holiday in Kenya after graduating from Northwestern University. On a hike through the bush, he came across a young bull elephant standing with one leg raised in the air. The elephant seemed distressed, so Dan approached it very carefully.
He got down on one knee and inspected the elephant's foot and found a
large piece of wood deeply embedded in it.
As carefully and as gently as he could, Dan worked the wood out with
his hunting knife, after which the elephant gingerly put down its
foot.
The elephant turned to face the man, and with a rather curious look on
its face, stared at him for several tense moments.
Dan stood frozen, thinking of nothing else but being trampled.
Eventually the elephant trumpeted loudly, turned, and walked away.
Dan never forgot that elephant or the events of that day.
Twenty years later, Dan was walking through the Chicago Zoo with his
teenaged son.
As they approached the elephant enclosure, one of the creatures turned
and walked over to near where Dan and his son Dan Jr. were standing.
The large bull elephant stared at Dan, lifted its front foot off the
ground, and then put it down. The elephant did that several times then trumpeted loudly, all the while staring at the man.
Remembering the encounter in 1986, Dan couldn't help wondering if this
was the same elephant.
Dan summoned up his courage, climbed over the railing and made his way
into the enclosure. He walked right up to the elephant and stared back in wonder. The elephant trumpeted again, wrapped its trunk around one of Dan’s legs and slammed him against the railing, killing him instantly.
Probably wasn't the same elephant.
That's such a Joe story!!!
Posted by: Leo | April 01, 2008 at 10:02 PM
You are so bad!
Posted by: Nancy | April 02, 2008 at 10:13 PM
answer to Jer: It must be hiding in the trunk.
Posted by: pastor joe | April 02, 2008 at 11:19 PM
I probably would have relied on faith healing for the elephant... from a very safe distance, from inside a Jeep, and with a weapon in one hand.
Thanks for the inspiration for the day Pstr Joe.
Posted by: Jared | April 04, 2008 at 12:20 PM
LOL...
Posted by: Rachel | April 04, 2008 at 04:31 PM
Did the person really die? Interesting, just bad that he died.
Posted by: David W. | April 08, 2008 at 08:12 AM
Fantastic....
Posted by: Eric Mellenthin | April 08, 2008 at 02:37 PM
U know a real good thing would be if we could power cars on Elephant Gas. That would be a trumpetic oppoortunity.
Posted by: David W. | April 10, 2008 at 04:16 PM
Leo is right, that is a Joe story! WOW! I was inspired, then surprised! Very interesting, Pastor Joe! Thanks for posting this, and it is great to see you are back in the blogging world again!!!
PS: Hiding in the trunk? I'm thinking that's a pun!
Posted by: Dianna | April 12, 2008 at 08:48 PM
Yeah, I'd imagine that Dianna! Also, it's grape to meet you, if you like fruit. I gotta make like a bannan and split.
Posted by: Popcorn | April 21, 2008 at 07:56 PM
I'm a little slow (things are slower in the south!)in reading your blogs, Joe, but this was HILARIOUS! Have you worked this story into a sermon, yet?
Posted by: Sarah | May 08, 2008 at 03:23 PM