A few weeks ago our goat, Dixie, had three beautiful, cute kids. Of course we fell in love with them immediately. When the kids were about a week old we decided they could go out in the pasture for short periods. At this age they get tired real quick so they have to stop and rest. The problem was that Dixie did not seem to notice when the kids laid down and she just kept on moving and browsing.
Well, when dinner time came Dixie showed up at the barn with no babies. She would holler for the kids but did not seem to have any idea where they were and she was more concerned about being with the other goats than hunting for her babies. This left the kid retrieval up to Alicia and me. Finding baby goats who are scared and hiding on 20 acres is no small task but we were up for it. After searching well after dark we got everyone located and back with mom.
We discovered the favorite hiding places for the baby goats were in the many brush piles we have on the property. The kids would go deep into the piles where they could not be seen and they did not tend to cry out for help. We would stand outside the piles calling, “here baby goatie, come on out”. After a few minutes we would hear a tiny whimper and then the kids would very cautiously come out of the pile to us.
As I searched for the kids I had time to think about how God searches for us when we get lost. If I can love a baby goat and do anything to find it how much love must God have for us that he is willing to seek us our whole life time even when we hide from him. He knows we are afraid and lack trust so he is willing to go where we hide and patiently call for us to come home. He certainly has done that with me. My hiding place is work. When I get stressed I bury myself in activity when what I really need to do is get quiet and listen for the voice that is calling to rescue me.
Where do you hide from God in times of stress? Is it work, like me, or do you reach for drugs or alcohol? What about material gain or possessions? Where or whatever you do to cope with stress it will never replace the safety of God’s love and shelter. Remember that God is always there but he can’t drag you out of the brush pile. You have to trust him and come out on your own. — Madalyn
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