Prancing Cows
You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness. Psalm 30:11
Things will get better! Right? We have heard that hundreds of times during our lifetime. Sadness can be overwhelming. Here is heartwarming story that will help you experience a little joy. This was written by Amelia Rhodes from All God’s Creatures.
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Our family had faced a long, hard spring. Disappointment after disappointment wore on my teens. I saw the weight they carried, and I felt powerless to do anything about it. Then I learned a friend had recently purchased a few baby cows that her daughters were raising. “Bring the kids over to our barn,” she urged one day. “There is something about being with the baby cows that brings joy and lifts spirits.” One afternoon soon after, we drove out to their barn. My friend’s youngest daughter greeted us, excited to introduce us to the cows.
One of the baby cows decided my son was her favorite. She pranced in a circle around the barn, then went up to him and nudged him in the belly. Then she’d snort and do a prancing lap around the barn again, returning to nudge him once more. I saw the weight lift from my son’s shoulders as he chuckled at her antics. He didn’t even seem to care that she was slobbering all over his coat.
I watched with gratitude as the Lord used these baby cows to lift sadness I had seen in my kids. The interactions with these joyful animals transferred some happiness into their weary souls. Our time with the prancing cows in the barn reminded me that even though my seasons of disappointment and mourning may last for a while, they don’t last forever. The Lord is faithful to return joy and gladness in time. This life may not bring the complete removal of heartache, but I have hope that when we see our Lord face to face, we will have the fullness of joy in His Presence.
“Joy is not necessarily the absence of suffering; it is the presence of God.” Sam Storms