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Listen while you read: "Praise Him Praise Him"1
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John 3:3 – Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again." (NIV)
Calving season is upon us once again, and we're all praying for cows and calves in our Cariboo House Churches prayer times.
I must have been 12 or 13 the first time I saw a calf being born. The strange thing was that, growing up just across the field from my grandparents' dairy farm, I had never before witnessed this miracle of life beginning. In our naive years, probably most of us have an impression of birth as a beautiful, tranquil scene where mother's body works in rhythm with nature to gently push the newborn out into the world. That certainly didn't describe this first experience for me, or for the poor heifer who was in labour before my young eyes. As we watched, eventually a little pair of hooves and a nose became visible out the back of the hard-working heifer. But they didn't come much farther. After a while, it was decided that the first-time mother needed some help. No midwife giving helpful instructions. No doctor attempting the use of forceps. No, this was a cow and a stubborn calf. Quickly, my Uncle John and Grandpa tied a rope around the calf's protruding hooves and the other end was tied to a long 4×4 beam. The beam was then lodged against a post in the stall as leverage and the men took turns pushing with all their weight against the beam to try to pull that poor calf right out of its mother's womb. After a little work on the part of my Grandpa, Uncle John, and the cow, the little calf oozed out and the mother went to work cleaning it off.
What a way to come into the world, I thought! But isn't that the way it is with some of us? We must be born again into the kingdom of God. It sounds like a nice image. Babies are cute and tug on our emotions. But some of us come into the kingdom, not in a peaceful, warm, gentle way, but resisting, holding back, having to be pulled in, as if someone had us tied to a beam levered on a stall post. We don't want to leave the comfort of the womb we have woven around ourselves — our comfortable lives and attitudes. The kingdom of God demands that we leave the comforts of our lives and give them up to seek only the comfort of being God's child.
It wasn't long before that calf was enjoying its first long drink of its mother's milk and standing on wobbly legs. We don't know the benefits of a new life with Jesus until we begin to experience them. Then, we learn that it is all worth the birthing pain.
Prayer: Lord, help us to trust You more, whether we are struggling with being born again into new life with Jesus, or with some new work You are calling us to do. Give us Your strength, that we may act before we know all the benefits. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.
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About the author:
Shannon Bell-Wyminga <jands@cariboohousechurches.ca>
Williams Lake, British Columbia, Canada
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Thank you, Shannon, for your thoughtful words.
A beautiful devotion today! Thank you, keep writing.
(On)
Thanks, Shannon, for the work you are doing in the Caribou country. Blessings.
Good Morning,
Thank you for your devotion.
Also, praying every blessing in your churches.
Thank you. We are farmers and have been for over 65 years. This will be our last year. Our grandson has taken over the farm so we can enjoy the Spring birthing. My lambing is to start soon. It is a miracle every time. To see the little nose with the 2 feet causes me to offer a prayer of thankfulness.
I love this devotional. It reminds me of my own farm experiences as a youth. I helped my Dad pull off many-a calf with ropes and boards. Delivering calves can be tough and messy (never mind the cow’s agony). For sure, the birthing process, as well as everything involved with survival and nurture of the new life is not simple, clean, or pretty.
Thanks Shannon.
Good morning, Shannon,
There are so many experiences which help us to understand the importance of God in our lives. Your experience and reflection on the help the cow needed in birthing the calf and the help your family was able to provide definitely parallels to the help and guidance we need from our Lord and times of struggle in our lives. It definitely is important to remember to reach out to God because He is there to comfort and guide us through those struggles. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and experiences. Blessings.
Thank you for writing this devotional.
I remember watching my first cow birthing. I gagged. I was twenty years old.
I appreciate your writing.
Your comparison of our birthing into Christian life… Some instantaneous… some needing help.
God is good.
Thank you.
Blessings.
Good morning, Shannon,
Seeing your name as a writer of the devotional reprinted today, brought back many memories. You wrote a very good analogy of the struggles a calf goes through to be born and struggles we find ourselves dealing with, as we enter into new life with Christ. So true that we never know ahead of time what He has planned for us, but we need always be trusting that His plans are for our greatest benefit. We may have struggles at times but faith in our loving Lord gives us the strength to carry on. Blessings for this writing you had prepared and I hope all is going well as you continue to serve in the Cariboo.
Thank you, Shannon. What a great and graphic image of our new birth in Christ!
Thank you for sharing this encouraging devotional with us today. To God be the glory! Blessings.
What an experience! Thanks for sharing. Blessings.