Working with the livestock in the Oklahoma summer weather is always a delicate balance of waiting until the coolest part of the evening, without running out of daylight. Tonight, I moved 63 heifers from one field to the next, on horseback, with the help of my 10-year-old son. We had about 15 good minutes of light to complete the task. So, it turned into a game of “hurry every chance you get” without pushing too hard and blowing up the whole herd. I found myself coaching my son, while watching the cattle and navigating the herd on a horse I was only riding for the second time. We opened gates, got around the cattle and then began the task of pushing the heifers towards the opening. A handful of them walked right through the gate and immediately found themselves in a greener pasture that was knee deep in groceries. The other 50+ would spook and then compose themselves. They would run to the fence line. They would run the wrong direction. But, finally, the pushing and pausing and pushing and pausing, moved the cattle to their new location.
As we were riding away at dark, I couldn’t help but think, how many times do we cause ourselves a lot of extra hassle because God is directing us, but we freak out, not knowing where He is sending us?!… or we run right past the opening at the gate because we aren’t looking for it. Yet, God circles us back up and gently pushes us in the right direction. Today, I want to challenge you to be so attentive to “The Good Shepherd” that you save yourself the frustration of running in the wrong direction and you calmly move to the better pasture He has in store for you!
John 10:11-18… check it out.
