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This was shared on my Facebook and really spoke to me!!!
This morning, we were out checking cows and seeing if there were newborn calves or cows needing help. It’s a normal thing during calving season to go out several times during the days and nights to continually watch over the herds of mama cows and their babies. I’m amazed constantly at my Dad’s skills, maneuvering over rocky hills and ruts, knowing how a cow will walk and turn, knowing exactly what she will do. He knows his cows, and when I say “knows”, I really mean, “knows” his cows. They know him, too. When he appears in the old pickup they know immediately that it is him. They come galloping towards their shepherd (my dad) because they see him every day. They know the sound of the loud, old motor, the honk-pitch of the horn, the appearance of the man in the worn out coveralls and muddy boots who feeds them and cares for them. All except one cow. She knows him, yes, but she is the one that has her own ideas and her own agenda. For those of you who have ever farmed, you know which cow I am talking about. A few days ago, she found the one hole in the fence in the creek water and went under it. She had to really do some work, honestly, to get away from the pasture she was supposed to be in. She had to physically get into ice cold water and probably scratch her hide a little to get through the gap. She really had her mind made up that her way was the best way. The funny thing is, once she got into the new “greener” pasture, she couldn’t figure out how to get back. My dad immediately noticed her disappearance. He said “she’ll figure it out and we will leave her alone”. He knew she would come back eventually. Neighbors called him and said, “hey, you’ve got a cow in the woods back up north that’s not supposed to be there.” Dad said, “Oh, I am aware…I know exactly where she went.” I was skeptical. I said, “Dad, we really should go find her now, she doesn’t have what she needs over on that ground- there’s nothing over there”. He said, “she’ll come back on her time. She’s one of those cows”. That was five days ago. This morning, we fed the rest of the cows in that particular pasture and she wasn’t there, again. But when we drove up over the hill after feeding them, we saw a head and two ears peaking up over at us like “hellooooo I am stuck over here! Can’t you see me! Help me!” We couldn’t help but chuckle. So we drove up to the other side and opened the gate. Dad said “I’m going to open the gate, but I am not going to force her. No use forcing a square peg in a round hole”. It wasn’t four minutes and she came walking through, with a new little calf by her side. Dad calmly shut the gate and got back in the pickup and said, “She came back when she was ready”. How many times do we think our way is the best way? I know personally, I get myself in trouble because I’m so focused on the here and now, that I don’t see that what the Shepherd has in store for me is actually much better for me in the grand scheme of things. How many times does the Lord patiently wait on us to remember His voice and to come back to Him? He watches us as we try to do it on our own and convince ourselves into believing our way is actually better than His, only to realize how far away we have gotten- and even worse— we forgot the way to get back. That is when the Shepherd in His mercy, sees us looking for Him over the hill where we don’t belong and grace steps in. I am thankful He opens the gate for us and waits for us to walk through. What a great picture of the love Christ has for you and me! The Farmer will always rejoice to see the wayward cow walking back towards home. "For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls”. 1 Peter 2:25
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