JOYFUL WORDS
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Speaking
  • Writing
  • Hospitality
  • About Sheri

Lesson From The Barn

7/20/2015

0 Comments

 
All of them differ, one from another, yet none of them has he made in vain; for each in turn, as it comes, is good; can one ever see enough of their splendor?  Sirach 42:24-25

We spent the weekend at a livestock show at MSU and I had three days to watch, listen and just soak it all in; smells, sights, sounds and all.  There was close to a thousand animals there and I saw no two that were alike.  Many were similar but none were exactly alike.  If you’ve never been to a big livestock show or even a county fair to see kids and animals work together, let me tell you, it’s a pretty cool thing to see.  The youngest cattle showmen walk through the barn and into the show ring with an animal more than twenty times their size with confidence and courage that is impressive.   Every direction I looked I saw   kids working; washing, feeding, leading and loving.    Every young person that came had the same ambition; to leave that barn with a ribbon that proved their animal was the best.  Unfortunately, very few left with that prize because it all came down to the opinion and the judgement of one person.

Shannon had two pigs at the show and as I sat in the stands watching, I quickly realized that each time a new class of pigs would enter the ring they were each different.  Obviously you could tell they were all pigs and you could identify them by their breed but no two were exactly alike.  It was the task of the judge to identify the things that made them different.  It was his job to find the best qualities in his top picks; he was looking for the splendor as each new group came into the ring.  The funny thing is, whether the kids loaded up their pigs to go home with a feeling of pride or a feeling of disappointment, they knew there would likely be another judge to look at their pig again on a different day who might see things differently.  It isn’t always clear exactly what the judge is looking for and success all boils down to the opinion of one person who takes no other suggestions or perspectives into consideration when making that final judgement.  More than 500 pigs were competing for one top spot so it’s fair to say more went home disappointed than delighted.

As we loaded the trailer to head home I realized how grateful I am that heaven is not like a livestock show and that God is not like a livestock judge!  We can sometimes feel like we are judged and compared, in fact oftentimes we are the ones doing the judging and comparing ourselves.  If you take a minute to re-read that verse from Sirach you can see that the differences between us are not in vain and that they are good.  The verse goes so far as to say the differences between us are “splendor”.  What a word…splendor!  When was the last time you looked in the mirror and noticed your splendor!  We are not going to appear before God in groups so he can choose only the best from the group to enjoy eternal life with him.  He loves and welcomes us all not just those who look a certain way.  Each of those young people who showed up at that show this weekend had invested time, energy, sweat and love in their animal with very little guarantee of a reward.  Think about heaven in that way for a minute; are you investing the time, energy, work and love into your relationship with the Father?  If you are, then there surely will be a magnificent reward; if not, it’s never too late to begin the work.  We will be evaluated by a judge who looks at us with loving eyes, consistent standards and a keen sense of our splendor! 

A Seed To Plant:  Spend some time each day this week reading this verse and praying about the thoughts it stirs in your heart.  Ask God to help you see that he is the judge and ask him to help you see yourself through his eyes.

Blessings on your day!

 

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Joyful Words magnet picture

    ​Click on the items below to expand the options available to you to explore the Joyful Words blog.

    Categories

    All
    1 Corinthians
    1 John
    1 Thessalonians
    2 Corinthians
    Acts Of Love
    Advent
    Ageing
    All In
    Amazing
    Anxiety
    Armor Of God
    Asking For Help
    Bad Habits
    Balance
    Baptism
    Be
    Beauty
    Being Gracious
    Blessed Mother Teresa Of Calcutta
    Blessing
    Blessings
    Brokenness
    Carry Our Cross
    Catholic Education
    Change
    Changes
    Cheerfulness
    Children
    Choices
    Christian Belief
    Christmas
    Colossians
    Commitment
    Comparisons
    Compassion
    Consistent
    Content
    Contentment
    Courage
    Crosses
    Crumbs
    Dad
    Daughters Of God
    Delight
    Desire
    Desire God
    Details
    Dicipleship
    Die To Self
    Discipleship
    Dissapointment
    Dying To Self
    Easter
    Ecclesiastes
    Education
    Election
    Encouragement
    Enemy
    Ephesians
    Evangelization
    Exodus
    Expectations
    Faith
    Faithfulness
    Falling Short
    Family
    Fathers Love
    Fear
    Flag
    Footstool
    Forgiveness
    Fresh Start
    Friendship
    Fr. Mike
    Fr. Mike Schmitz
    Galatians
    Generosity
    God In Everyday Things
    God In Scripture
    Gods Beloved
    God's Enough
    God's Forgiveness
    Gods Gifts
    God's Guidance
    God's Love
    Gods Love
    God's Plan
    Gods P Lan
    God's Restoration
    Gods Strength
    God's Timing
    Gods Timing
    Gods Ways
    God's Will
    Gods Will
    Goodness
    Good News
    Grace
    Grandma
    Grandpa
    Gratefulness
    Gratitude
    Greatness
    Gretness
    Grief
    Happiness
    Healing
    Heart
    Heaven
    Hebrews
    He Chose Me
    Holiness
    Holy Spirit
    Holy Thrusday
    Holy Thursday
    Holy Week
    Hope
    Humble
    Humility
    Identity In Christ
    Intimacy
    Isaiah
    James
    Jeremiah
    John
    Joshua
    Joy
    Judgement
    Justice
    Kids
    Kindne
    Kindness
    Labor
    Laughter
    Lent
    Lessons
    Light
    Listening
    Little
    Love
    Lovelies
    Luke
    Mark
    Marriage
    Mary
    Matthew
    Meekness
    Mercy
    Mom
    Mornings
    Mud
    Obedience
    Openness
    Parenting
    Parentng
    Patience
    Peace
    Pentacost
    People
    Perseverance
    Perspeceive
    Perspective
    Philippians
    Pioneers
    Pleasing God
    Poor
    Porch
    Positive
    Possibilities
    Pray
    Prayer
    Priorities
    Promises
    Proverbs
    Psalm
    Relationship
    Religion
    Respect
    Romans
    Sacrifice
    Sacrifices
    Sainthood
    Saints
    Samuel
    Scripture
    Seeking God
    Service
    Serving God
    Signs
    Silence
    Simple
    Sin
    Sinfulness
    Slow Down
    Small Stuff
    Steve Ray
    Stillness
    St. Mary's 4th Of July
    Strength
    Stress
    Suffering
    Surprises
    Surrender
    Temptation
    Thanks
    The Right Thing
    Time
    Troubled Times
    Trust
    Trust In God
    Truth
    Understanding
    Unravelled
    Valentines
    Waiting
    Weddings
    Word Of The Year
    Words
    Works Of Mercy
    Worry


    ​Archives

    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012


    Back to Home

    RSS Feed


      HOME                        BLOG                       SPEAKING                        WRITING                        HOSPITALITY                        MEET SHERI  

CONTACT: 989.640.6673
Picture
EMAIL

FACEBOOK

Twitter

Content is the intellectual property of Sheri Wohlfert 2017
Created by dhengesbach
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Speaking
  • Writing
  • Hospitality
  • About Sheri