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Greetings of love, friends. Today, I'm praying things go a little smoother on the farm than yesterday. It's that time of year…the calves are dropping daily. We had six born just this week. While the cow takes care of her newborn, usually, and all is good…not so much yesterday.
We decided that this year, as the calves were born, we would band them immediately, as opposed to waiting til later and not being able to catch them. Beef cows aren't as people-friendly as our dairy cows were, so catching the calves before they learn to run is easier on old folks…or so we thought. Not so much this time.
As we made rounds, checking on the calves to see which were bulls and which were heifers, we would pull up beside them and lift the leg of the curled up, sleeping calf. Now, this particular big, red calf caused a raucous for us. I lifted her leg to be sure, and then patted her on the back and said, "Go find your mama"…and that, she did. This calf took off running and running and running. She ran all over the farm, across the road and through all those fields, and even ran down the highway. We finally caught up with her, loaded her into our vehicle, and took her to the pasture, back to her mom. But, she immediately ran through the fence and back across the road and into the field…running. This time when we caught up with her, we put her in the barn, penned up. The thought is that the mom will come calling for her soon. This is where we are as I write. Today may be interesting. I wonder if this calf is related to Forest Gump?
On the farm, it's easy for me to make analogies with the happenings of the day. This episode is no different. You know, the mother cow was within sight of this wandering, running, panic-stricken calf, and yet, the calf had a one track mind…she had to run…out of fear. I pray it ends well, but as I write, I wander, are we any different than that fearful calf? The answer we're looking for is right before us, but our fear has gripped us til we can't see the answer.
We are currently studying, "Goliath Must Fall," by Louie Giglio, in our Bible study. The topic this week is "fear." I'm always amazed how the Lord teaches me the lesson at hand through life on the farm. We are so much like this calf, running and running from all that we are fearful of, while the answer, Jesus, is very near, watching over us, and longing for us to just calm down and run to Him. But instead, we are so focused on our fears, that we are oblivious to His Presence.
Music has always spoken to my heart. Just the right song at the right moment will open my eyes quicker than words spoken to me, for some reason. This week, my songs are by Natalie Grant, "Face to Face" and "My Weapon." "Face to Face" speaks of staying hand in hand with Jesus, until we see Him face to face. Yes. He is right there with me, with you, holding our hands through the difficult times, the scary times, until we are ready to turn and look Him in the eye. When we can finally look Him in the eye, we know that we were safe all along, and so thankful to be held by Him until we could see clearly again. "My Weapon" reminds me that His Presence is my greatest weapon, pushing back the darkness, breaking every chain. My worship opens up the heavens, crushing every stronghold, when I speak His name…His Presence is my weapon. Yours, too, friend.
The truth about this calf, as well as about you and I, is that we have always been safe, even when we ran for our lives, blinded by our fears. In our study, we remind ourselves that our giants, those things that torment us day and night, may be big, but our Jesus is so much bigger. We say, "This battle doesn't belong to me. It belongs to the Lord, and I don't need to fight it." We tell the enemy of our souls to "get behind me, satan, in the name of Jesus…you have no part of me!" We immerse ourselves in Scriptures, such as Psalms 16:8, which says: I keep the Lord always before me. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken."
A funny thought came to me just now…if I could have just explained to this calf that there is really nothing to fear, she would not have taken off running as she did. That didn't happen. Friends, it's no different for you, or for me. Our fears only have control of us as long as we try to conceal them. When we go to the Lord, naming those fears, we can let go of them, and rest in Him. Confessing our fears, and our sins, whether to a trusted friend, or to the Lord Himself, takes away the fear. Sometimes, the best thing we can do is say what our hearts already know about us. Confession often will break down the power that fear holds over us. In the end, Jesus is ultimately the Only One powerful enough to slay the giants in our lives. Once we are free of them, we can walk safely, securely, in His Presence once more…no more running. Praise His Holy Name.
Now, for that calf. They say, "all is well that ends well"…we shall see, come daylight. I guess if she continues to run, her name will be, "Forest"…I'm sure that's where she'll end up, anyway. Blessings to each of you today as you fill your head with scriptures and your hearts with praise, for the One who loves you well and watches over you…always.
Lord, we are so prone to run from You, when we ought to be running to You. Forgive us for getting our focus on the problems of life, when we need You so desperately to be our problem solver. You are our peace, our comfort, and the One who holds our hands. We love You. We praise You for Your protection today and each new day. We run to You. In Jesus' name, I pray, with thanksgiving. Amen.
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Debby Renninger is a freelance writer and inspirational speaker. She holds a Bible study in her home in McVeytown, where seeking women are always welcome. She may be reached at (717) 250-7086 for speaking engagements.