Look-A-Likes

I really enjoy riding through the cattle and looking at all of the new calves. Watching them grow is so much fun! But I really love it when I can tell exactly who the calf belongs to because they look just like their mother! They are little copies, little look-a-likes.

We have a couple of those pairs this calving season, and it is so comical to me that not only do they strongly resemble their mother in their color pattern. but also in their temperament, and even a lot of times in their posture and stance. It’s easy to see the calf, not have to even check the ear tag, and know who the dam is.

It’s also fun to watch the cows and how they act when we are in the pasture. Some cows know us and who we are and don’t get too concerned. While other cows, will act just like us humans do and attempt to protect the calf. When they sense someone who is making them a little uncomfortable or they aren’t sure of the truck or even the dog, they will actually call the calf and lead them away from us.

I spent a little time thinking about this yesterday afternoon as we rode through the cattle. The sermon at church yesterday was about the importance of Proverbs 22:6 and training up a child in the way that they should go. And I pondered on this even more as I watched the cows in the pasture, training calves. The cow took the calf towards the water or away from the truck. One of the cows put themselves between us and the calf, between what she deemed the danger and her baby. Theses calves are being trained to be less friendly as they get older. We also have cows that are extremely friendly and have caused their calves to be extremely friendly. These cows lead them to us. When the cow comes for her scratches, the calf comes too and is trained to be calm and allow us to move easily about them.

It’s so important that we not just tell our kids how to live, what to do, and the difference between right and wrong. We have to show them. We have to live it out in front of them, and we have to give them opportunities to learn and experience it themselves. We shouldn’t just tell our kids to pray for others, we should give them opportunity to pray for others. We shouldn’t just tell the kids not to watch certain programs or participate in certain activities, we should live it out in front of them. They should experience us turning the channel and explaining why.

One of our pet peeves continues to be people harping on and complaining about the children and young adults of this generation. But it is not the fault of those children and young adults that they are constantly on their phone or they have bad manners, or they’re not respectful and undisciplined. It’s the parents fault, it’s our fault.

We have to train them! They have to be taught, raised. Something we have always said, “don’t raise children, raise adults.” If you raise children, you’ll get children. If you raise adults you’ll get adults. It’s so important that we train and we don’t just tell. We have to train. It’s not too late! It’s not too late to bring balance back to the scales. With HIS help, with prayer and fasting, we can train them.

We can see a generation, be a part of a generation that chases God more than they chase social media, games, cultural influence and societal affirmation.

Deuteronomy 6:6-7 “And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.”

I love how I see my own children raising their children. We are just starting this GRAND journey and it’s so exciting. I love how singing and worship music, how they are training her, are already playing a part on a young life. I am typically, absolutely opposed to sharing too many personal details with the world, but this video of our granddaughter explains more in 1 minute than a page full of words. (Ignore my voice, but I just had to capture the moment!)

Train them. Be an GOOD example that they can copy. Everything we say and do is teaching and leading. Our job is to make sure that they are look-a-likes of Him!