Chewing Cud
Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. Colossians 3:13 (NIV)
Back on the farm when I was much younger, I was curious about cuds. We had Herefords that were almost like pets. I decided to pull the cud out of Audrey’s mouth to examine it. YUCK! It was just a slimy, partially eaten wad of grass and not worth the hassle to get it out of her. It was disgusting! Tracy Crump (All God’s Creatures) has quite a different but helpful perspective on cud chewing.
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During Covid-19 lockdown, I made a thirty-minute drive every week to deliver groceries to my disabled sister. I often started out the trip thinking about a million other things that needed doing, but the beautiful countryside soon quieted my mind and turned my thoughts toward God. In the spring, I passed fields carpeted with yellow wildflowers and more than once stopped to take pictures.
On the drive, cows caught my attention. I turned up a short side road and got out of my car. The biggest bull I’d ever seen assumed an intimidating stance, making me grateful for strong fences. As I snapped photos, the cows wandered over but seemed mostly curious. They soon lay down and went back to chewing their cuds. I’ve read how dairy cows spend almost eight hours a day chewing their cud, which makes them healthier and helps them produce more milk. Maybe so, but it doesn’t seem like the most appetizing way to enjoy a meal.
Watching these ladies, I wondered how often I bring old grievances back up and chew on them awhile. Unlike that natural digestive process of the cows, rehashing my anger only produces bitterness. Focusing on “who was right, who was wrong?” sours my thinking and makes me ready to lower my horns and go after the first red flag I see, a decidedly unhealthy solution.
I’ve learned to stop the process before getting to that point by turning my thoughts back to God. Only He can help me produce the product He wants—forgiveness. I’ve discovered through trial and error that I can’t do it on my own. By ruminating on grievances, I grow more bitter. By ruminating on God, I grow more like Christ, the one who forgave me.
Never does the human soul appear so strong as when it foregoes revenge and dares to forgive an injury. —Edwin Hubbell Chapin
Forgiving Father, help us to remember who we are in You. Teach us the deepest meaning of forgiveness. AMEN.