God is so faithful to speak to us in the everyday things. I live in a small rural community. As I was driving to town this afternoon to get gas for my mower, I turned on to the main road and there were pickups blocking the road in both directions. It took me a few seconds to see that a calf had gotten out and was running up and down trying to escape what he thought was to his detriment, but in reality, it was for his own safety. Isn’t this a beautiful picture of leaving the 99 to rescue the 1?
As the calf was ushered up and down the side of the road next to the fence, he looked at me. In his gaze, it was like he was saying, why won’t they leave me alone. I know I’m separated from the rest of the herd, let me find my own way. God doesn’t want us to find our own way. Our way is nothing and will lead to pain and death. God’s way is everything and will lead to healing and life. It might not feel good in the moment, but in the end, His love overwhelms, and we wonder why we didn’t surrender sooner.
How many times do we “run” from God when all God is trying to do is help us see that His way is best that He would never leave us nor forsake us. We run from the pain that has happened in the past; pain that we can’t seem to let go of because it protects us. We hide inside ourselves instead of hiding in Him.
I heard in a teaching this weekend that when the world hurts us either through circumstances or people, it expands our hearts. When hearts expand, it can either expand with more of Christ, or more of the bitterness of life. With hearts that are expanded to receive more of Him, we are able to give more of Him to others.
As I was watching the scene unfold before me, it was like God spoke to my heart. This is also a picture of how the people of God should come together and help each other in their time of need. I don’t know this for sure but based on the quantity of trucks on the road (at least 5), I suspect it was neighbor helping neighbor. A picture of how the Church should operate. We are to build each other up; not tear each other down. This is one of the things I like about the Warrior Commission – it’s about building up and growing up. It’s about leaving what we should not be carrying and picking up the characteristics of Christ that we need to move beyond where we are. As long as we are willing to listen and obey, we will move forward with a courage and a tenacity we don’t know we have.
Sandra Hancock
Warrior Commission Member
