Wednesday, November 6, 2013

The Green

 "He makes me lie down in green pastures."
 
Y'all, this morning I read Psalm 23 ...
This section of the verse got me so tickled for a minute.
I never thought of it this way before.
When we look upon a green pasture, it is a beautiful sight to behold,
and what a seemingly beautiful place to lie down ...
"If" it has no cows or animals grazing on it.
I had the blessed opportunity to spend many days on
my grandparent's green pasture.
The green pasture had cows grazing on it ... and you know what they leave "behind"!
I remember as a kid walking in that green pasture,
and we'd always have to walk around what my grandmother referred to as "cow poo."
 
And there was so much of it.
It's over here ...


 (the girls at my grandparent's pasture)


 It's over there ...
 
You couldn't let down your guard even in that  beautiful green pasture.
Once, there was ice on the ground in winter ...
we made sleds out of cardboard boxes ...
and when I slid down, my gloved hand landed right in cow poo.
The same is true for life ...
those green pastures we lie down in ...
there is always a little cow poo nearby...
something that seems a little unpleasant.
But remember the unpleasant is what promotes growth and maturity
and keeps that pasture green.
The bad is always there ...
we can't prevent it ...
but the sight of it  in that green pasture, following after God
should keep us on our guard,
allow us to grow in our faith,
 keep us mindful where we lie down and where we step,
... in other words, keep us on the green.
 
Following after God will keep you on the green.
 
He makes me lie down in "green" ...
 

Atlanta, Texas

4 comments:

  1. Living on the open range in New Mexico, we don't have much green, but can sure relate to bovine gifts.

    They're interesting, though. The other day I was walking Bella the Wheelchair Dog, and a group of cows came to the fence to watch her. They were clearly interested, and their heads turned in unison to watch Bella's progress.

    May your day be green!

    http://blessed-are-the-pure-of-heart.blogspot.com/

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  2. Thank you for commenting, Andrew. "May your day be green" ... love it! At my grandmother's once ... she had tons of calves ... I stood at the fence feeding them apple slices while getting stung all over by fire ants! It was just a once in a lifetime opportunity to have so many babies eating from my hands ... had to take the pain. And I knew I had Lanacane in my suitcase!

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    Replies
    1. Fire ants...ugh. I once lived in Florida, and stopped to chat with a fellow, not knowing I was standing on a fire ant nest...wearing flip-flops.

      Well, it WAS a learning experience.

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  3. Yes ... fire ants are a learning experience!

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Blessed by you, Shelli