Spirit Grazing

Each day going to and from work, I pass by a small pasture populated with three beautiful riding horses. They move easily from one end of the field to the other, eating their fill of the lush grass which this cool, wet summer has produced. I have never seen anyone attending to them, or riding them, yet they seem content.

Yesterday as I passed by, I reflected on their typical day. They go from one end of the field to the other, not by a decision to journey that set distance, but by nibbling one bunch of grass after another. This process is called grazing. They meander from this luscious mouthful of grass to the next one, then to the next one until lo and behold, here they are at the opposite side of the field.

How like our journey with the Lord. We respond to the Spirit today, in this situation. That leads us to tomorrow where we again respond to the Spirit in the circumstances of that day. As all the tomorrows pass from todays into yesterdays, we awaken at some point to the realization that we are now at a place that we would never have chosen if it had been presented to us in the beginning. Our grazing in the Spirit takes us to new lands, new relationships, new realities which are more blessed and more wonderful than anything that we could have planned for ourselves.

As I have listened to our friends, Gail and Marilyn, as they have been celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary, I have heard them say that when they spoke their vows to each other 50 years ago, they never imagined that it would bring them to their present reality. They did not choose their present situation 50 years ago, but rather they grazed with the Spirit down through the years. Now they awaken to find themselves in the loving arms of God as they are in the loving arms of each other.

So, graze on, my friends. Know that God will surprise you by taking you on a path unknown to you. A blessed path.

Shack Too

Last evening we were presented with the opportunity to view our own little piece of paradise. Shack Too is a small home located on about three acres of land overlooking the Little Sioux river four miles northeast of Cherokee. Nearly two acres are wooded, providing us with ample opportunities for wildlife, including various bird species, deer and coyotes. Hiking in the area will definitely be a possibility.

The owners, Kevin and Hallie, are as excited to rent to us as we are to be their neighbors across the road. They are a working couple who share a love and commitment to rodeo. She is the secretary for the Bull Riders Association and Kevin is a judge of bull riding events. This interest takes them on many travels around the country where they can also watch their son, Alan, who is a rodeo clown.

Since we are required to give a 30-day notice to our present landlord (which we have done!), we will be assisting Kevin and Hallie the next few weeks to clean, paint and get Shack Too ready. We hope to move in before the end of the month.

So why Shack Too? Because we expect to find God there also in even more ways than we already have. We believe that this location is a gift from a loving God who is drawing us out there to reveal to us even more God's care for us. We are looking forward with great excitement and anticipation to this new venture on the journey to the Kingdom. Stay tuned.