Curious Cows and Bucking Horses

Ashley and her mom recently took Avery on her first trip to a dairy farm. The cows were quite interested in little Aves. One by one, they slowly waddled over to get a sniff of this tiny person standing before them. Before long, a large crowd had gathered and they soon began to jockey for position in order to get a better look at the blue-eyed beauty. Ashley showed me the picture and I realized that someday these won't be cows, they'll be testosterone-filled teenage boys. Being that Avery already looks like her momma, she is sure to eventually have boys jockeying for her attention. Some will have good intentions, and there will probably be others who have impure motives. In the meantime, I am doing everything in my power to prepare Avery for what I know will inevitably come. Our daddy-daughter dates must continue. She must know that she is adored, valued, and loved. If I do a good job now, I am confident she will be prepared to thrive during her teenage years. She will be steady as a rock in the midst of a temptation minefield. As a two year old, the last thing she thinks about are the challenges she'll face as a 17 year old. She's too busy admiring Barney. As a father, it is my responsibility to look down the road and prepare her for what is coming. It's a job I take seriously.

This is how our Father in heaven operates. He knows the challenges that we'll face this year, next year, and in ten years. He is committed to preparing us to thrive in the next season of life. He is preparing us to overcome future temptations. He is getting us ready to handle the responsibility that He desires to give us. It's a job He takes seriously.

One of my biggest personal challenges over the past five years has been discontentment. I have made huge strides in this area-which I believe now gives me the freedom to write about it publicly. But, it has been a battle. I have spent far too much time looking ahead and wishing the next season of life (assignment) would quickly arrive. I had convinced myself that I was bored and needed to move on. I wanted new adventure and new excitement. All the while, I was missing the incredible work that God had right in front of me. I was trying to move in a direction that I was not prepared or ready for. God reminded me time and time again that He knows what He is doing. He will not send me out before I am prepared. He is far too good of a Father to do that to us. I am now more content than I've been in a long time. I am grateful. I am full of vision and excitement for the task currently at hand. I am finally aware of the importance of my current season of life.

One of the "game changers" for me came on a day when I was watching the Kentucky Derby. The "Run for the Roses" is a fascinating sports event to behold. It's said to be the most exciting three minutes in sports. I get chills watching the horses run. They run with such passion and grace. It's what they were born to do. On this particular day, I watched some horses calmly walk into the starting gate and patiently wait for the doors to swing open; meanwhile, other horses bucked wildly and refused to enter the gate. Sure they all wanted to run the race, but some appeared to be claustrophobic about entering the small metal stall. I continued to watch as trainers became visibly frustrated as they tried valiantly to get the horses to calm down and enter the starting position. It dawned on me that I had been acting like one of the unsettled horses that refused to enter the gate. God gently taught me that if I wanted to run the race, I had to enter the starting gate. He showed me that I must come to a place of thankfulness and contentment in order to be positioned for the gate to swing open. Being in the starting gate is not necessarily comfortable or exciting, but it is necessary. It's all part of His preparation for us.

It's easy for us to officially decide we are ready for the next season of life, but we most likely have no idea what is really around the bend. I am so grateful that we serve a God who is intentional about preparing us to handle the unique challenges that will come. As a Father, only He knows how to get us ready. Instead of bucking and fighting, let's calm down and start enjoying where God has us. Allow the Holy Spirit to prepare your heart for all that God has planned in your future. Ask Him to reveal what He is preparing you for. Ask Him how you can better cooperate with Him. Then, in time, the gate will swing open and you'll slobber with excitement over the freedom to run. The day is surely coming. He hasn't forgotten about you.