Goats is Good Teachers

Many are the sermons, lectures, letters and talks on perspective. You know the ones that talk a lot about the glass being half empty or is it half full? or is there a glass at all?  kind of talks. Volumes have been written on the subject of how to view the circumstances this life deals us. And, I am sure that there is a great deal of wisdom to be found in many of these enlargements on how to view life. However, the best illustration I have ever seen on perspective was delivered by a small herd of goats.

I am not ashamed to say that once upon a time I owned several goats. They are tremendous teachers for a person who pays attention to them and because I paid attention, I am fully aware of why Christ refers to lost people as goats. Of course, the fact that he calls Believers sheep is no great compliment. I owned a sheep once too, but more on that another time.

These goats of mine could often be found munching their way along a fence row in our pasture and stretching and straining their necks through the wire to the just-out-of-reach, succulently superior grass on the other side of the fence. No doubt it was greener as well. And usually, this munching and stretching and straining would continue down the fence row until the goats reached a hole in the wire large enough for them to squeeze through to the promised land on the other side.

However, these short sighted pets of mine would then proceed to work their way back up that same fence row and begin munching and stretching and straining their necks through the wire to the very blades of grass they had not considered worthy of their culinary peculiarities only moments earlier.My how things had changed simply by squeezing through the fence and gaining a new perspective. Their old pasture now lay before them in a new and inviting light.

 Those goats were just like me. How often have I looked at my situation, my lot in life and thought “this just doesn’t suit me. I was made for better stuff than this. It issss juuusst over there.” And then every once in a while, the Lord provides a vicarious opportunity to slip through the wire and overhear others comment on what I do and what I do have. I am always amazed to hear the envy in their voices. I am always amazed that anyone could look at my life and want what I have. He gives me a good look, and I am content to slip back through the wire to my own pasture.

I have a pretty good pasture. I just forget sometimes. Until I slip through the fence for a spell.