Monday, August 25, 2008

Healthy as a leaping calf

So yesterday, Sunday...one of us from the ministry headed with husband in tow...to the local County Fair...to consume a humongous homemade apple dumpling with cinnamon sauce and ice cream on top...we, of course in the interest of gas prices...did some looking around...at the plethora of crafts for sale...the cute but stinky baby animals (PU!!)...a large assortment of farm equipment...and participated in a few "meet and greets" with local politicians...but basically this trip is all about the dumpling...So we get our bowl of Deliciousity and head to the grand stands to find out what all the "dirt was flying" about...literally...the dirt was flying...we sit on a bench in the front row and find out that cowboys twirling lassos while riding on horses are beginning to compete for a calf roping blue ribbon contest...right there.....I am very nervous...I can hardly eat my dumpling...they herd into a large pen about 25 variously hide colored...and very cute....(but stinky...I am sure)...calves to the far end of the arena...then the cowboys on horses load themselves into these large metal stalls with ropes in hand...then they take one of the very cute calves and load them into a small metal stall from a door in the back...the poor thing is just squashed into this space.....everybody stands back...the official starts the clock running and releases the stall door on the front of the calf's pen and the cowboy and horse pen...the calf so glad to be released from those tight quarters......jumps out of that pen and leaps for joy........until the cowboy comes with the rope...I will spare you the rest of the details...lets just say...the dumpling wasn't easy to eat (I was having to swallow it through the sorrowing lump in my throat for the cute little stinky calf) ) as I had remembered from years past...but those other years I ate it and didn't watch the rodeo...Then the Lord reminded me of something...so sitting in the stands...I got out my Bible and read...Malachi 4:2...For you who revere and worshipfully fear My name shall the Sun of Righteousness arise with healing in His wings and His beams, and you shall go forth and gambol like calves (released) from the stall and leap for joy...then I thought....well, there wasn't any calf roping in Bible writing days...so what are we talking about here Lord??? I found the answer from a farm wife, named Judi, who lives in Northwest Oregon...she writes about the Malachi verse..."I LOVE this imagery. I wish everyone could see what for me is a common sight; baby calves released from a nursery stall into open space for the first time in their lives, discovering the real purpose of legs is for dancing...will run and jump and leap for hours, simply because they can. Their uninhibited, unrestrained delight is so pure... I could watch them for hours."
So if you are sorrowing over the need of a release from some tight quarters of your own...physical, emotional, mental, spiritual or situational...Jesus...the Sun of Righteousness...has risen...literally...with all the "healing" available for whatever your need is...just lasso this to your delight filled heart:
I will worship...respect...rejoice in.
..
Jesus Christ!!!
.....all together now...(even if you can only partcicpate in your heart because of physical limitations)...in purity... uninhibited and
unrestrained...Leap for Joy...because of what Christ has done!!!..I'll eat a dumpling to that!!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

You may use this quote with my blessings. Thanks for asking.
Judi

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