A Lesson From Big Girl
By Christy Lowman
Burke County
Do you remember my pet cow Violet, also known as Big Girl? She is here to give us something to think about. What do you notice about the picture? Not a whole lot going on maybe…Looks like a regular day on the farm….Just an ordinary picture….perhaps.
What I have learned from Violet is that she enjoys the simple things in life. She is super happy to receive her first bale of hay of the season. She did a happy dance when it came through the gate on the back of the tractor. She rubbed on it and got a little crazy like cats do with catnip. But at the same time, she would still be just as content if she had not received it at all. She would just groom the pasture, eating fresh grass instead.
Would you be happy to eat dried grass? I know I would not.
What I think Violet is really trying to tell us is to be happy every day and moment. There is always someone who has a worse life or going through a worse situation than us
For instance, Violet could be mad that her pasture is only half of an acre, unlike the neighbor’s cows who have several to graze. Instead, she is happy with what she has because some cows never get to leave a barn stall in their short life span.
She could be sad that she doesn’t belong to a herd of cattle. Instead, she is content with spending time with her best friend Ruby and the tiny birdies she walks around and eats with.
Most importantly, she could have to worry about her future but instead, she is blessed and beyond happy to be an ordinary yard cow. Shhhh…she still thinks she is a dog so don’t tell her the truth!
When I look at the picture above, I realize how much I love the simple life and how I need to focus on it and be thankful for the small blessings God has given me as well as the big ones!
Here are a few simple things I sometimes take for granted that I am trying to be thankful for every day.
Waking up to a brand new morning each day. Sometimes I forget to thank God for this.
I have a house and a roof over my head. Some people don’t have this luxury or have lost theirs’s due to natural disasters or fires.
Just like Violet, I have food readily available. Some children have to go to bed hungry every night.
For the most part, I am healthy. Some in other countries don’t have the proper medicine to treat sicknesses like we do.
I have clean fresh water available. Not everyone has this in the world; some have to drink dirty water with parasites in it that in return makes them sick.
My family is alive and well and I get to see them anytime I wish. Some families have been separated from each other in foreign countries like Afghanistan and they may never get to see each other again.
God is the biggest one I take for granted. He is always there, listening, desiring a personal relationship with me daily and I don’t always give Him as much time as I should, which I am striving to do better.
Here in America, we have so much to be thankful for compared to other countries. God has truly blessed us. In fact, we are spoilt.
It is important to thank Him for the little things, instead of focusing on materialistic things we want but don’t need.
Next month is November, and one of my favorite holidays! Thanksgiving! I encourage each of you to write down something you are thankful for each day in November and thank God for it!
Dear Lord, help me to have a thankful heart in every situation and every new day. Help us focus and be content with the simple things instead of wanting what others have. Most importantly, help us grow our daily relationship with You. In Jesus’s name, Amen.
“ Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.” Philippians 4:11 KJV
“ Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.” Psalms 100:4 KJV
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Christy Lowman is a Christian author and illustrator that lives in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains with her husband and two children. She enjoys writing and illustrating books for all ages. Some of her short stories are published with Guideposts and HCI. Christy gives all the glory to God in everything she does. A portion of every book sold from the Small Bible Character Series will be donated to battle human trafficking. If you enjoy her books, “like’ her author page on Facebook and let her know! You can buy her books at //www.amazon.com/s?i=stripbooks&rh=p_27%3AChristy+Lowman&s=relevancerank&text=Christy+Lowman&ref=dp_byline_sr_book_1. You can reach her at //www.facebook.com/authorChristyLowman/
or christyssoaps@yahoo.com
You can read more Christian news from Christy here.
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