http://www.npr.org/blogs/krulwich/2013/12/13/250846078/whats-that-clinging-to-the-towering-wall-and-why-doesnt-it-fall-off
Those extraordinary goats in the above piece led me to this second video of their less brilliant cousins, commonly know as fainting goats:
Startling contrast between the two. On a good hair day I'm probably more of a fashionable goat, like the Angora goat mentioned. Fact is, each goat functions exactly as God designed. The goat's not amazing. The Creator, his Designer, is!
The Bible talks about separating sheep from goats one day when Christ claims His own for eternity. His sheep know His voice. Another, lesser known, animal analogy is found in Habakkuk 3:19: "The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights. For the director of music. On my stringed instruments."
An old book I read years ago, Hinds Feet on High Places, brought home the work God does in hard places. He builds us in the valley to climb to heights we never imagined possible. His strength in the journey give us hinds' feet, deer feet, to climb to those beautiful high places. But we have a choice. Remain in the valley. Mope. Whine. Pout. Cry. Cocoon in self-pity. Or let Sorrow and Pain be our guides out of the pit and on to mountain tops. Good read. Tough stuff to live though.
My Story
The whole animal illustration was like a mirror to myself. I was born a mangy goat, probably the stiff-legged fainting type. Funny but not very useful.
Then I heard a sweet voice calling my name, "Kathy. . .Ka-aaathy? Come unto Me." I did and was immediately transformed into a sheep. Still not very useful. Quite dumb and helpless, in fact. But I stayed by my Shepherd Who loved and protected me. He led me by still waters. Except when I romped off to the white water rapids and soon found I was not equipped for that! Back He took me to green pastures, the greenest, freshest fodder for me. I grazed, grew.
Until one day I plummeted off the edge, ripping and shredding as I fell to the dark, rocky valley below. Alone! No, he was there too! Nurturing, healing me. As He carried me up, I learned. The safest place is beside the Shepherd. The best food and water are beside my Shepherd. The best place for soul restoration is beside my Good Shepherd.
One day I walked again. Wobbly legged, but walked. . .BESIDE the Shepherd. We climbed. Slowly, sometimes painfully up. Up. Up. It was hard, dark, often bleak. But together we climbed. Up. Up. Up. I wondered at times Am I still in the valley? Where is He taking me? Why is it taking so long?
Then I breathed and the air was cold, icy cold. I gasped to catch my breath when He said, "Look." I saw the most gorgeous panoramic view of where I'd lived, fell, climbed. We were on top of a mountain, heights I'd never seen. Beauty I'd never dreamed.
"Look," he said again, pointing at me, at my feet. They weren't goat's feet, not even sheep hooves but they'd changed. . .hinds' feet! I'd grown deer feet that climbed to higher ground, a higher place that I had found! Lord, plant my feet on higher ground! I'd have never chosen a fall nor a valley but He used it for my good and His glory. He wasted nothing. . .what a Redeemer! He redeems everything in my life.
From that gorgeous peak I listened as my dear Shepherd reminded me, "You will mount up with wings like an eagle. You'll soar, Kathy!"
Not yet. But. . .is that a feather I feel on my shoulder
blade?
No comments:
Post a Comment