It sometimes amazes me where thoughts come from and I often wonder what my next column will be about. What also amazes me is how differently it may turn out from the way it started.
My husband and I frequently drive from Bella Vista to Centerton for breakfast at our favorite restaurant, the Centerton Inn. It is a pretty short drive but it does take us past several farm pastures. These contain a combination of animals. Some have horses but most have cows.
In Wisconsin calves were born in the spring, but, due to the cold winter weather, that was it for each year. My aunt raised sheep and they would have a crop of babies around Easter and then be done for the year as well. Today as we drove past a herd of black Angus, there was a little one standing near the fence. This reminded me that here in the warmer climate I have seen a second crop of young ones being born in the fall. This little guy was a spring baby and so cute I couldn't help but think of the attraction animals have as babies. How can you not want to cuddle a kitten, a puppy, a lamb or a calf.
Not all of these are huggable, but they surely bring a smile to my heart and I am captured by their charm. When my aunt's baby lambs would be born in the cold spring weather we would bring them into the house and rub them dry before a large, warm fireplace. We didn't exactly hug them, but we came close as we snuggled them with warm towels. I could picture how they would look in a short time as they grew from precious babies to gangly youngsters and finally to full grown creatures. I love animals so even the adults are a delight, but not in the same way that they were as babies. Before long they grow up and change into something different.
The more I reflected on the whole subject of babies and how they grow, the more the concept of change began to settle into my thoughts. What things change in our lives as time passes? Humans also go through various stages as they mature. Granted, we don't do so as quickly as animals but eventually we too become gangly, become teenagers and eventually become adults.
But even with all those changes, what are the things about us that continue to grow after we reach adulthood? I think it is mostly our mindset, how we think about things. We have opinions, outlooks, responses and beliefs that are not what they were when we were kids, and certainly different responsibilities as adults. Often that is the result of things that happen to us as we live our life. It doesn't completely change who we are, but it may alter our personality as well as our behavior. And what a blessing that can be.
If we weren't able to change and grow, what would be the point of churches? We are often not the same after hearing sermons, sharing Bible studies, participating in prayer groups, or sharing Christian ideas and goals with others. Jesus spent His life trying to change us, to help us grow in our understanding of who God is and how we can follow Him. I like to think that just being with Christian friends, we have the chance to grow in our faith and if we include God in our lives and in our relationships we can make the world a better place.
Now how did that come from seeing a fuzzy little black Angus standing next to a fence? Only God knows!
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Jan Burgess moved to Bella Vista in 1995. She considers each day a gift -- although some are more fun to open than others. The opinions expressed are those of the author.
Community on 05/04/2016